WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 6, 2022) – BGR Group, Washington, D.C.’s premier bipartisan lobbying and public relations firm, today announced that David J. Urban will be joining the firm as Managing Director. David has more than three decades of experience in public policy, business, the law, military and public service sectors. He will provide expertise and counsel to BGR clients across a broad range of public policy areas.
“David Urban will be a tremendous asset to all of BGR’s clients,” Founding Partner Haley Barbour said. “His broad experience in both the public and private sectors is unparalleled. His insights into communications, policy, law, and politics make him uniquely suited to the BGR team. We are thrilled to have him on board.”
“I am honored to join BGR,” Urban said. “After more than three decades of working in and out of Washington, I know what it takes to build a successful team. BGR represents the best of the best. I am ready to dive in and help BGR’s clients navigate an increasingly volatile and complicated political and policy environment.”
“When people think of Pennsylvania, they think of David Urban,” Congressman GT Thompson (R-PA-15), Dean of the Pennsylvania Republican congressional delegation, said. “Arlen Specter, Rick Santorum, Pat Toomey, and scores of others have turned to David for his insight and assistance. I have appreciated the opportunity to rely on David’s Pennsylvania knowledge and public policy experience as well.”
Most recently, David served as Executive Vice President of North American Corporate Affairs for ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. In this senior role, he worked alongside the company’s top leadership, helping them navigate public policy and communications challenges, as well as advising on Environmental, Social, and Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility issues.
As President of the American Continental Group (ACG), a premier bipartisan government affairs and strategy consulting firm, he provided high stakes counsel to key clients including the CEO of Zoom during the early tumultuous days of the COVID-19 pandemic and the CEO of 7-Eleven to help the company adapt to a rapidly changing regulatory environment. He also has experience in nonprofit space working with groups ranging from the Human Rights Campaign to the US Anti-Doping Agency.
Before joining ACG, David served as Chief of Staff to former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania for five years. Senator Specter was an influential member of the Senate Judiciary and Appropriations Committees. In this role, David was the Senator’s senior advisor on all legislative, political, media and administrative matters in Pennsylvania and Washington.
David was appointed by former President Donald Trump to serve as the 11th Chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission, playing a leadership role in the commemorations of the 100th Anniversary of the World War I Armistice, the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings at Normandy and the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. He was also appointed by the President to the Board of Visitors (Trustees) for the United States Military Academy at West Point.
A graduate of West Point, David served as an artillery officer in the 101st Airborne Division where he was awarded the Bronze Star for his service during Operation Desert Storm. He earned a law degree from Temple University and a Master’s in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed an ESG certification program through the Said School of Business at Oxford University and the Stratfor certification program in geopolitical analysis at the Florida Atlantic University. He served as an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz School of Government. An active member of the Pennsylvania Bar, David is admitted to practice before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.