The 2004 presidential campaign was a pivotal moment for David Pinkham. He was in high school, and remembers being genuinely interested in politics and discussing the election in earnest with peers, teachers and family. David went on to volunteer for the Jim Webb (VA) 2006 senatorial campaign, held summer internships at AAA and APCO Worldwide, and chose to major in government as an undergraduate at Franklin & Marshall College. “All of these experiences added up to a terrific baseline for developing political research and communications skills,” David said. “Plus, they solidified my desire to pursue a career in advocacy.”
After graduation, he secured a position at the Auto Care Association where he is currently manager of government affairs. He oversees the department’s grassroots efforts and supplements federal and state lobbying with research and communications support. “Being part of a small team at a trade association gives me valuable exposure to all aspects of the government affairs world,” David said. David is also pursuing an MBA at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and feels the business management and quantitative skills he is learning are helping him become a more strategic government affairs professional.
David is proud to be a Bryce Harlow Fellow. “I hope to have a long, respected career in advocacy like Bryce Harlow, and am already applying some of his lessons in my daily work — trust and honor, being more transparent, and really listening to stakeholders,” David said.
