David M. Olive has more than 30 years’ experience in business, politics, law and public affairs.  As former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR3) and a former staffer for US Senator Jim Allen (D-AL), Mr. Olive understands that very few things get done in Washington without approaching them in a bi-partisan manner.

Upon leaving Capitol Hill, Mr. Olive oversaw the aviation, antitrust, telecommunications, and information technology practice group as senior vice president of the public affairs firm, Powell Tate. In 1999, he left Powell Tate to develop a government relations practice built around helping businesses interact with federal and state governments.

Before coming to Washington, Mr. Olive served as president of Care First Inc., a nursing home management company in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He also directed the legal division of the Donrey Media Group, a multi-state publishing, real estate and advertising firm. He served on the board and was president of the Fort Smith Rotary Club, the Fort Smith Boys Shelter and helped start Leadership Fort Smith.

Prior to moving to Arkansas, Mr. Olive practiced law as a partner in the Birmingham, Alabama, firm of McMillan & Spratling.  There he had a general civil practice, specializing in news media, risk mitigation, employment law and insurance defense.

Mr. Olive clerked for U.S. District Judge Clarence W. Allgood after earning his juris doctor at the Cumberland School of Law.  His bachelor’s degree is from Samford University. He has taught at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, University of Montevallo, and Webster University-Fort Smith.

Mr. Olive is a Fellow at the GWU Center for Cyber & Homeland Security. He also established and currently serves as the moderator of The Washington Homeland Security Roundtable and is a frequent contributor to Security Debrief, a homeland security blog. In 2005, The Hill named Mr. Olive one of the top Homeland Security lobbyists in Washington, D.C.