MARLAND BUCKNER
MARLAND BUCKNER serves as Senior Advisor at Corley Pipes and as Co-Founder and Principal.
Prior to co-founding MB², Buckner served for seven years as Director of Federal Government Affairs for Microsoft Corporation in Washington, DC. During his tenure at Microsoft, Buckner worked closely with senior leadership and executive staff to integrate Microsoft’s philanthropic, policy, and political efforts.
As Director of Government Affairs, Buckner represented Microsoft across a range of areas including education, workforce development, as well as interactive entertainment. As co-chair of a technology industry partnership, Buckner helped to drive policy and political consensus for reform of the nation’s high-skilled immigration system in the early 2000s. In 2005, Buckner was recognized by Microsoft for leading the company’s efforts to create a first of its kind $20 million partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor to provide technology skills training through a network of community technology learning centers nationwide.
Before his tenure at Microsoft, Buckner served in several staff roles in the U.S. Congress, as Legislative Assistant to Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) as well as Senior Policy Advisor and Chief of Staff to then-Congressman Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN-09).
Buckner has served as a policy analyst at two Washington, DC based think tanks, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and the Progressive Policy Institute. Buckner’s writings have appeared in a variety of publications, and he frequently serves as a commentator and panelist on policy and political issues.
Buckner earned his B.A. in political science and history and his M.A. in history from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and completed his doctoral examinations in American Studies at the College of William and Mary. He also holds a certificate in Business Administration from Georgetown University.
Buckner serves on the boards of the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Alexandria, Virginia, and the Richmond, Virginia Chapter of Communities in Schools.
