Policy Analyst at US Department of Transportation
Michael Hardin is a policy analyst at the Department of Transportation where he focuses on aviation competition and emerging aviation technology policy issues. Prior to coming to DOT, he served as Director of Aviation at the White House National Security Council (NSC) where he led an interagency team consisting of over 20 different federal departments and agencies to complete a National Action Plan for Counter-Uncrewed Air Systems (C-UAS) and planned and led the first-ever White House summit on Advanced Air Mobility in August 2022. In September 2022, he was selected by “Homeland Security Today” as one of the top 50 leaders nationwide “advancing critical existing and emerging missions in homeland security and building the critical partnership between the government, private sector, and citizens for a prepared and resilient nation.”
He has over 25 years of experience in government working on issues related to aviation, travel and tourism, transportation, immigration, biometrics, and counterterrorism. Prior to coming to the NSC, Mr. Hardin served in a variety of roles within the Department of Homeland Security including establishing a new office to better facilitate international travel in 2013 that, by 2016, was congressionally funded at $1B through 2026. On assignment from DHS, he also served in Canberra, Australia from 2008-2009 assisting the Australian government in development of their security and cross-border travel programs. Throughout his career, Mr. Hardin has spoken at the International Civil Aviation Organization multiple times and at a variety of travel-related conferences in the United States and around the world. He has a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and a law degree from George Washington University Law School.