Bruce Mehlman Joins CDT Board of Directors

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has welcomed Republican political strategist Bruce Mehlman, the founder and leader of bipartisan government relations firm Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas, to its Board of Directors. Mehlman was unanimously approved by current members of the Board.

“CDT champions civil liberties and human dignity in the digital age, and instills those principles into practical public policies by working across sectors, aisles, and borders. I am honored to welcome Bruce to our table, and our whole organization is looking forward to working with him to help CDT advance digital rights and democratic values worldwide,” said Bill Bernstein, Chair of CDT’s Board of Directors.

“As the pace of technological change accelerates far faster than policymakers can keep up with, tech-savvy consumer advocacies such as CDT become increasingly critical,” said Mehlman. “We all have immense work ahead to maintain the overwhelming benefits enabled by the IT revolution while ensuring individuals are neither left behind nor digital roadkill.”

Mehlman is an expert in developing issue campaigns and strategies that achieve effective policy outcomes. In addition to his role at Mehlman Castagnetti, where he helps businesses navigate political trends, he is Executive Director of the Technology CEO Council and Co-Chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance. Previously, Mehlman served the U.S. Department of Commerce as Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy under President George W. Bush, the House Republican Conference as Policy Director and General Counsel under Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK), and the National Republican Congressional Committee as General Counsel. His private sector experience includes time with Cisco Systems.

Mehlman joins existing Board of Directors members Bill Bernstein, Julie Brill, Alan Davidson, Ed Felten, Peter Hustinx, Carl Landwehr, Travis LeBlanc, Deirdre Mulligan, Su-Lin Cheng Nichols, Nuala O’Connor, Andy Pincus, Erika Rottenberg, Philippa Scarlett, Mark Seifert, and David Vladeck.