Ambassador (Ret.) David D. Nelson was a career foreign service officer specializing in economic issues. Throughout his career, both in the Foreign Service and subsequently, his goal has been to promote policies that enhance the prosperity and security of Americans. His leadership roles in the Economic Bureau of the State Department involved global finance and sanctions policy, as well as trade, energy, and the full range of economic issues under his purview as acting assistant secretary. He served in the National Security Council and seven overseas assignments, including as ambassador to Uruguay. Ambassador Nelson retired from the Foreign Service in 2011 and joined General Electric (GE), leading their Washington-based work related to trade and commercial promotion with Latin America and Europe. Upon leaving GE in 2018 he founded a consulting firm supporting a major U.S. corporation with its global economic and geopolitical policy concerns. Ambassador Nelson earned a BA in economics and international relations at the University of Wisconsin and a master's degree in economics at the University of Maryland.
