Josh Martin is Vice President for Government Affairs at Varda Space Industries. Martin has over 20 years of experience in the federal and state government. Prior to joining Varda, Martin was Senior Vice President at one of the top defense lobbying firms in Washington, DC, American Defense International. Martin also served as the Chief of Staff for the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Mac Thornberry, for over a decade. He helped manage and coordinate Congressman Thornberry’s efforts at the committee, including DOD organizational and acquisition reforms, improving the DOD innovation ecosystem, accelerating the development of important technology, and increasing the overall Defense budget. Martin was responsible for member and staff outreach across the Armed Services Committee and U.S. House during the annual National Defense Authorization Act process. A fifth-generation Texan, Josh Martin attended the University of Texas at Austin and American University, studying political science and peace and conflict resolution. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Government, he joined the staff of Lieutenant Governor Rick Perry. In 2001, Governor Perry selected Martin to join the Texas Office of State and Federal Relations, a Texas state-government office in Washington, DC. Josh joined Varda in 2023. He enjoys reading history and science fiction, travel, attempting new recipes, and spending time with his wife and wonderful daughter.