Hartwell has been working as a political advocate for over a decade. He focuses on state legislative and executive branch lobbying on behalf of clients to develop and implement their public policy initiatives.
Hartwell has in-depth experience working in varied branches of government. Prior to joining the firm, he served as the legislative liaison for the Governor to the Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS). There, he focused primarily on lobbying the Ohio General Assembly on behalf of all their divisions. Hartwell has lobbied elected officials on complex issues for the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Ohio Highway Patrol, Ohio Emergency Management Agency, Department of Ohio Homeland Security, Ohio Traffic Safety Office, Ohio School Safety Center, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, and Ohio Emergency Management Services. At DPS, Hartwell also navigated multiple executive budget cycles before the General Assembly to ensure continued funding and policy changes for the agency. Prior to DPS, he served as the legislative liaison for the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) where he lobbied before the General Assembly on insurance matters while advocating BWC positions with stakeholders.
Hartwell also served as the Director of the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, where he focused on assisting the Secretary with election and cybersecurity matters concerning elected officials and stakeholders. Prior to working in state government, Hartwell spent significant time in the private sector doing both public affairs and contract lobbying work. He has been a part of award-winning campaigns across the country, including U.S. Senate races, local ballot issues, and various statehouse races.