About Us

Jason Liechty

Founder and Principal

Argonaut LLC is headed by Jason Liechty, a well-regarded leader, strategist, and communicator with over two decades of experience shaping public policy in innovative ways. His career has spanned local governments, nonprofits, startup companies, and volunteer and civic endeavors.


His work experience includes:

 

  • Senior Environmental Project Coordinator, Broward County Resilient Environment Department.

 

  • Director of Policy, Cook County Commissioner (now Congressman) Mike Quigley.

 

  • Senior Consultant, Milepost Consulting, SPC.

 

  • Policy Director, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.

 

  • Executive Director, Edgewater Community Council.

 

  • Office Manager, Koval Distillery.

 

Jason has also been very involved in civic and volunteer activities throughout his life, including:

 

  • A long association with New Leaders Council, a progressive leadership development organization, both as a fellow and in chapter and national leadership.

 

  • Six years of service on the Sustainability Advisory Board of the City of Fort Lauderdale, including four years as chair and two years as vice-chair.

 

  • Membership and leadership positions in block clubs and neighborhood groups.

 

  • President of CIS, Inc., supporting addiction recovery programs in Chicago.

 

Jason graduated summa cum laude from American University with a BA in International Studies and German/West European Area Studies, winning the university-wide Fletcher Scholar Award and other distinctions. Following a year studying at the University of Bonn, Germany, on a prestigious Fulbright Fellowship, he earned his Master of Urban Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and won the Karl Baptiste Lohmann Award in recognition of exceptional professional promise.

 

He is an avid baker (including baking-for-hire via his hobby business, Hot Mess Bakery) and the favorite employee of his two housecats, Clark and Cora.

Awards, recognitions, and endorsements

  • "Jason Liechty Day" proclaimed for December 12, 2022, by the Broward County Commission, in honor of ten years of service to Broward County Government.

 

  • Co-winner of a national competition to coin a slogan for the Democratic Party: "Common sense for the common good."

 

  • Quotes from LinkedIn recommendations by former colleagues and supervisors:

 

  • "He was frequently personally praised for the quality of his work, particularly his writing and communications skills which are unmatched. Jason is an exceptional project manager, has incredible personal drive and initiative, excels under stress, and is life-long student....Simply put, Jason's talents have no bounds."

 

  • "He steers the ship and keeps everyone on track....He is ALWAYS willing to go above and beyond."

 

  • "...[A]ble to code switch on a dime between high strategy and deep attention to detail. But beyond sheer professional excellence, Jason’s true superpower is his ability to track team dynamics in real time and the deft, subtle interventions he deploys to keep interactions healthy and productive."

 

  • "...Jason possesses an extraordinary ability to build cohesive teams."