T. Ross Barnhardt

Ross Barnhardt is a Governmental Affairs Advisor based in Raleigh, North Carolina. As part of Nexsen Pruet's North Carolina Public Policy & Governmental Affairs team, he is a regular at the North Carolina General Assembly where he provides a number of services to firm clients, including:

• Legislative advocacy
• Public policy formulation
• Government relations
• Legislation drafting

Prior to joining the firm, Ross worked in the North Carolina General Assembly as a Research and Legislative Assistant to Senator Brent Jackson, Appropriations Chairman. Ross was responsible for managing the Senator's legislative/policy agenda, helping to craft policy provisions for sub-areas of the State Budget and staffing the Program Evaluation Committee, which included developing the Committee Work Plan and drafting legislation to implement Committee findings. He was also the lead staffer for the state's annual Farm Act and numerous agriculture related committees. 

While working for the Senator, Ross was appointed by the North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture to serve on the Subcommittee to the Food Science Innovation Advisory Committee. He worked with fellow subcommittee members to develop a draft business plan for the new Food Science Processing Innovation Center at the David H. Murdock Research Institute, as well as making recommendations on the type of equipment and design for the Center’s lab space.

Before working for Senator Jackson, Ross was a Senate Intern for Senator Andrew Brock. Over the course of his years working at the State House, Ross worked with legislators, lobbyists, industry leaders, local government officials and members of the executive branch. His experiences, network and firsthand knowledge of state and local government position Ross as an invaluable asset to the firm. 

• Subcommittee to the Food Science Innovation Advisory Committee
  • Appointee, 2017-2018
• North Carolina Museum of History Associates
  • Member

• Graduate, John Locke Foundation's NC Capitol Leaders, 2017 - Inaugural Class