David van Hoogstraten

During his childhood, David spent summers at a boys’ camp on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, where much of his time was spent hiking in the White Mountains. This was the beginning of a lifelong love of the outdoors and a commitment to preserving open space.  In recent years, he has spent significant time with family and friends at a weekend retreat on the edge of the Shenandoah National Park, which has renewed his sense of the critical importance of preserving and expanding our nation’s national parks.  

During a 45-year career as a lawyer and policy adviser, his focus has been on environmental and conservation issues. Early in his career, David worked as a lawyer at law firms in New York and Washington, DC and as international counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at PepsiCo, Inc.  In 1991, he joined the EPA as Associate General Counsel for International Activities, followed by stints at the office of the Legal Adviser and the Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Scientific Affairs at the State Department, and at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.  He then went to the Hunton & Williams law firm as Counsel, to BP Wind Energy as Executive Vice President for Policy and External Affairs, and to BP America as Senior Director for Environmental Regulatory Affairs.  After retiring from BP in 2018, he returned to the U.S. government as Supervisory Attorney for Policy and Congressional Affairs at the Peace Corps, from which he retired in September 2025 as the Acting General Counsel. 

David received a Bachelors and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD degree from the University of Wisconsin/Madison.  He has lectured and written on environmental legal topics and has taught environment and trade law at the George Washington University Law School.