JONATHAN BUCKNER
PUBLIC POLICY MANAGER
Lyft, Inc.

Jonathan Buckner is a Public Policy Manager for Lyft, Inc. Since joining Lyft in October of 2017, he has directed the policy efforts of the rideshare company throughout the Southeastern United States as well as assisting in Chicago, Illinois.

Jonathan, a native of Columbus, Georgia, has resided in Chicago for nearly nine years. He received his B.A. in history from Georgia Southern University in 2002, and a J.D. from the University of Tennessee in 2009. Following law school, Jonathan was a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney where he represented the People of Cook County (Chicago) for more than five years. After leaving the State’s Attorney’s Office in November of 2014, Jonathan joined the administration of the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Toni Preckwinkle. During his three years in the President’s Office, Jonathan worked as both a legislative coordinator and Director of External affairs.

Jonathan finds various ways to make an impact on his community. He was a member of the 2017 Cohort of Fellows in the Chicago Urban League’s IMPACT Leadership Development Program. He currently serves as a Young Leadership Board member for America Needs You; a non-profit organization that provides transformative mentorship and intensive career development for first-generation college students. He is also a former director of Minority Legal Education Resources, Inc., an organization committed to increasing minority bar membership. Jonathan was recently honored by Chicago Scholars as one of its 35 under 35 leaders making an impact for 2018.