Areas of Expertise:

Biofuels, Energy Efficiency, Environment, Environmental Policy, Nuclear, R&D, Renewables, Transportation, Water

Additional Areas of Expertise:

Science and Technology, Innovation, Research and Development, Defense Energy Issues

With 20 years of experience working on and off Capitol Hill, David Cherington has developed a breadth of knowledge focused on impacting federal budgets and policy. Cherington has worked for a Congressman on the Appropriations Committee, on the Professional Staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and for an Ivy League University. Most recently, on behalf of science and technology giant Battelle, Cherington worked to increase federal funding for key science and technology programs, changed laws to drive competitive advantage for his employer, and raise Battelle's profile on Capitol Hill, at the White House and across the key agencies. Cherington will join the esteemed S4 Group, LLC on August 1, 2014 as Vice President for Government Relations in Washington, D.C. The S4 Group also has offices in New York and Chicago.

As Executive Director of Government Relations for National and Homeland Security for Battelle, Cherington served as the primary liaison between Battelle’s National Security Division and Congress and the White House. In this role, Cherington worked to grow business for the National Security business units that focused on national and homeland security, the intelligence community, environmental, critical infrastructure, and transportation. Cherington also represented to Congress and the White House the Battelle managed National Labs in their role in National and Homeland Security. In addition to building key relationships with Members of Congress and their staff, Cherington also built key contacts in coalitions, consortiums and other groups or organizations to help build mutual support for legislation and policy that was important to Battelle and the Battelle managed National Labs.

As Counsel for the Senate Armed Services Committee, Cherington was assigned to oversee the nations’ nuclear weapons program within the National Nuclear Security Administration at the Department of Energy, the legacy cleanup program of the former nuclear weapons complex, and the defense environmental programs. In this role, Cherington helped draft major changes in law, including robust support for the nations’ stockpile stewardship program, completion of the accelerated clean up and closure of the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant including the creation of the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge—a nine year effort that began while Cherington served on the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives—and the transfer of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program from the Department of Energy to the Department of Labor.

Cherington began his career working for a Member of the House Appropriations Committee where he supported his boss who became a national leader on several issues including the cleanup and closure of the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant in ten years or less. When their efforts began on this initiative, the closure schedule was over 65 years and $14 billion more than the final closure cost. Next for Princeton University, Cherington worked to secure and increase federal funding for the Fusion Energy Program within the Department of Energy Office of Science. In both roles, Cherington was effective in working across the broad spectrum of offices to ensure the policies and funding levels sought were attained.

Areas of Experience and Expertise:
• Defense Programs: National Nuclear Security Administration (U.S. Department of Energy), All aspects of the nuclear weapons program, including the budget, appropriations and authorization of the Stockpile Stewardship Program.
• Department of Defense Science and Technology Policy: Lead effort to increase funding for specific RDT&E projects and programs and to change laws to drive competitive advantage for my employer.
• Homeland Security Science and Technology Policy: Worked with five National Laboratories to help restore deep reductions to the DHS S&T Directorate and helped to open lines of communication between Agency Officials and Professional Staff on the Homeland Security Committees.
• Defense Environmental Policy: Against strong opposition and criticism, drafted initial language to clean up and close down the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant in ten years—55 years ahead of schedule. Nine years later and $14 billion under the original budget, drafted the law creating the Rocky Flats Wildlife Refuge, thus closing the plant.
• Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA): General knowledge of program and cohort structure of benefits; drafted law which transferred EEOICPA from the Department of Energy to the Department of Labor.

Professional Affiliations:
• Coalition for National Security Research
• Energy Sciences Coalition
• Task Force on American Innovation

Education:
• Juris Doctor, 1993, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Lansing, MI
• Bachelor of Arts, 1989, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO