David J. Vennett
David J. Vennett is presently a Vice President at Goldman Sachs in New York. In this capacity, he works with the team to develop and implement Goldman’s initiative of 10,000 Small Businesses; a $500 million initiative designed to provide small business owners the tools and education to better grow and manage their businesses, while building capacity and job creation in local communities across the United States.
Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, David was National Manager for Government Affairs and Special Projects at Toyota. Here he developed strategies in which Toyota's legislative positions and priorities were advocated to the U.S. Congress, the White House and Executive Branch agencies. Before Toyota, he was appointed by the White House as Chief of Staff to the 2004 G8 Summit Planning Organization, which President George W. Bush hosted in Sea Island, Georgia. Managing a staff of over 120, volunteers of 350, and a one-time budget of $42 million, David supervised the activities that prepared for the arrival and successful meetings of 22 Heads of State/Heads of Government.
During the first term of President Bush, David also received political appointments at the U.S. Department of State, including Special Adviser (diplomatic rank of Attaché) to the U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands and Deputy Director of the Office of the White House Liaison.
Active in Republican politics, David has held both paid and volunteer positions on the 2000 and 2004 Bush/Cheney Presidential Campaigns and wrote the script for the 2000 and 2004 Republican National Conventions.
A Texan, David began his career in Washington serving as the Special Assistant to U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Republican from Texas. He is a graduate of SMU with a double major in political science and international studies and a double minor in history and economics. David remains active in the philanthropic arena serving as an American Trustee of the British Natural History Museum; Co-Chair of the L'Enfant Society of the Trust for the National Mall; Board Member of SMU's Corporate Communications Advisory Committee; Board Member of Business for Diplomatic Action; amongst many others.
