Madison Leonard brings storytelling, policy insight, and strategic communications expertise to CPI. In her role as Government Relations Manager, she connects Capitol Hill offices, partner organizations, and communicators professionals across the movement. Leonard joined CPI after building a career in political communications, nonprofit fundraising, and high-stakes campaigns. She has served in roles including Director of Donor Communications at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), Digital Director for U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, and Director of Accounts at Battleground Strategies. A 2024 CPI Veritas Fellow, Leonard is passionate about mentoring America’s next conservative leaders.
It was during her college internship in then newly elected Governor Ron DeSantis’s press office that Leonard realized government communications was the career she wanted to pursue. She moved to Washington in 2020 to serve as Production Assistant for U.S. Senator John Barrasso at the Senate Republican Conference (SRC), where she discovered firsthand the art of masterful storytelling and its influence on policy.
Raised in Fort Lauderdale, Leonard holds Master’s in Strategic Communications from Liberty University and a Bachelor’s from Samford University, where she double‑majored in Broadcast Journalism and Public Relations with a minor in Hebrew and Musical Theatre. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, young son Everett, and their lively Australian Shepherd.