David Naftzger
Executive Director, Council of Great Lakes Governors

David Naftzger serves as the Executive Director of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, a non-partisan partnership of the Great Lakes Governors and Premiers created to advance the region’s environmental health and high-performance economy. David directs government relations with the Congress, Administration, State legislatures, Tribal and local governments. He also directs communications and serves as the Council’s spokesperson. He has been widely quoted by media including Associated Press, USAToday, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Toronto Star, Public Television and Radio, and many others. David managed and facilitated the negotiation and implementation of the “Great Lakes Compact” and the companion Agreement. He now serves as Executive Director of the Governors’ Compact Council, a regional regulatory entity. He also coordinates the Governors’ broader regional efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes. In addition, he oversees six foreign trade offices promoting State exports; the Great Lakes of North America which promotes international tourism to the region; and from 2003-9 the regional biomass energy program.

Previously, David was a consultant and worked with a national initiative to improve public health through increased calcium intake. Prior to that, he was a government relations director for the National Conference of State Legislatures in Washington, D.C. He represented the legislatures before Congress, the Administration and foreign audiences on issues including international trade and agriculture. He also assisted in filing amicus briefs before the Supreme Court. David earned a Master’s degree in Economics from the London School of Economics. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from DePauw University and studied at the University of Freiburg, Germany.