James Ballentine is the founder and CEO of Ballentine Strategies, a government relations and strategic consulting firm with practice areas in financial services and small business.
He has over three decades of banking and small-business policy, political, and legislative experience working with the largest banking trade association in the country and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. His keen understanding of banking and small business, the legislative process, and political and grassroots strategy gives him exceptional insights into shaping and influencing policy outcomes.
Named in 2022 through 2026 to Washingtonian Magazine’s “Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People” and multiple times as a “Top Lobbyist” by the Hill Newspaper, Ballentine has been involved in nearly every relevant banking policy issue for the past 25 decades.
He has led the American Bankers Association’s congressional relations and political affairs department and has been responsible for managing and directing the association’s legislative and political operations. Prior to heading the congressional relations area, Ballentine was responsible for the ABA’s grassroots operations and directed the association’s Center for Community Development and housing policy.
Prior to his 22-year career at ABA, Ballentine was appointed by the White House to serve as associate deputy administrator at the Small Business Administration. He was a 10-year veteran on Capitol Hill, serving as chief of staff and legislative director to Rep. Albert Wynn (D-MD) and as legislative director to Rep. Frank Horton (R-NY).
During his extensive career in Washington, D.C., Ballentine has been a featured and frequent speaker at conferences, schools, and on political panels. He has been quoted extensively on multiple media platforms. He has also served in advisory roles on local and federal political campaigns. Additionally, Ballentine is co-founder of the Cheerful Giver Foundation, a charitable foundation designed to help underserved groups throughout the Washington Metropolitan area.
Ballentine is a graduate of the University of the District of Columbia with a degree in communications and mass media.
