Steve Lenkart
Steve brings 35 years of experience and success to his role of Director of Advocacy Programs at SkyHawk Global. As a chief executive and chief operating officer overseeing organizations with budgets ranging from millions to billions of dollars, Steve’s policy and leadership backgrounds span the government, nonprofit, and commercial sectors. His distinctive blend of expertise enables him to identify opportunities, navigate complex stakeholder landscapes, and position clients to expand their reach, enter new markets, enhance their value, and deliver lasting results.
Steve is an Academy Fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration and, in that and other capacities, advises Congress and Executive Branch officials on federal workforce policy, appropriations, authorizations, and legislative and political strategy.
He has held senior leadership roles in both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations and maintains strong bipartisan relationships. He previously served as Executive Director of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), an independent agency that safeguards merit system principles governing the federal civil service. He also served as Acting Deputy Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Chief of Staff to DHS’s first Chief Medical Officer; and senior professional staff member for the House Committee on Homeland Security. He has also held leadership and advisory roles on government boards and nonprofit organizations.
Drawing on a decade of experience in local and state government, Steve’s early public service included roles as a police officer, firefighter/EMT, and chief of staff to an Illinois state senator.