Kari Barrett

Kari Barrett is a seasoned public policy and strategic communications professional with over three decades of experience spanning federal government, industry associations, and consulting. She has built a distinguished career leading stakeholder engagement, policy development, and regulatory strategy—most notably within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where she served in multiple senior advisory and leadership roles.

Most recently, Kari led the Public Engagement Team within the FDA’s Human Foods Program, where she oversaw strategic communications and engagement initiatives supporting major food safety and nutrition policies. Her work has been instrumental in fostering collaboration across diverse stakeholder groups—from consumer coalitions to industry alliances—and in shaping public understanding of FDA actions through stakeholder meetings, listening sessions and outreach campaigns.

Prior to this, Kari held senior positions at Leavitt Partners, where she provided regulatory consulting to food industry clients, and at the American Chemistry Council and American Petroleum Institute, where she directed regulatory affairs and technical programs focused on plant operations, safety, and security. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and completed graduate coursework in Public Policy at the University of Maryland.