Meet David Roth
A Lifelong Commitment to Public Service
David’s commitment to public service started early. One of his earliest political memories is sitting around a table at about five years old, helping stuff envelopes for Congressman Henry Waxman in Los Angeles. It was a small beginning, but public service and the belief that government can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives has been part of David’s life ever since.
While attending Reed College in Portland, Oregon, David took time away from school to go to Washington, D.C., where he interned for Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin. After graduating, David was appointed to the California Student Aid Commission and went on to serve as its youngest Chair, helping lead the state agency responsible for billions of dollars in financial aid for California students.
David also worked with President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, and his team on initiatives to bring counseling and mental health services to students in the Pacific Trust Territories and community-based learning centers to Namibia, Southern Africa. In 2006, David was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in California’s 45th Congressional District. Years later, while he and his family were living in Florida, David was actively involved in Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Putting Down Roots in Vermont
But the public service that has meant the most to David has happened much closer to his chosen home, Vermont. Since moving to Vermont, David has become deeply involved in St. Johnsbury, the Upper Valley, and communities across the region. He currently serves as President of the Lake Fairlee Association and was appointed by Governor Phil Scott to serve on the Commission on the Future of Vermont Agriculture. He has also served on the St. Johnsbury Charter Reform Commission.
Showing Up for His Community
More recently, David worked with community members, the Town and members of the St. Johnsbury Selectboard to help pass the town’s anti-ICE resolution and establish a new Public Safety Stakeholders Forum, creating a place for community members, local leaders, law enforcement, and other stakeholders to communicate directly about public safety and the needs of the community.
Putting Experience to Work for Vermonters
Through all of these experiences, from Washington to Fiji to Namibia to California and, most importantly, here in Vermont, David has learned that good government is not about ideology but is about listening to people, bringing different voices to the same table, and then doing the hard work necessary to get things done.
That is the kind of public service David believes in, and it is the kind of leadership he will bring to Montpelier.