
	WHO WE ARE David E. Poisson, Ph.D., J.D. Senior Counsel A veteran of numerous national and state-level legal, legislative and political contests, David Poisson serves as Senior Counsel to Widmeyer's public affairs practice. Poisson previously served as legislative director and chief counsel to the late Senator Terry Sanford (D-NC), whose successful 1986 campaign he ran. He later became chief of staff and counsel to then-Representative, now Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), helping orchestrate Durbin’s ultimately successful effort to ban smoking on airlines. During a more than decade-long career with many of the nation’s largest and most influential trade groups, including the National Education Association and the Electronic Industries Association, Poisson became – and remains today – one of Washington’s foremost association experts. He has been chief executive of three major international trade associations in the automotive and electronics industries and is one of only a very few Washington public affairs professionals who is also a certified association executive. Most recently, he has been of counsel to the Washington law firm of Howe, Anderson & Steyer, whose clients include over 75 trade associations in industries as diverse as construction, mining, insurance, manufacturing and printing. Poisson is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing northeastern Loudoun County. First elected in November 2005, he is a member of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee and the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee. He also serves on the Substance Abuse Services Council and the Manufacturing Development Commission. A graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law, Poisson also earned a Ph.D. in higher education at the University of Arizona, becoming at 24 the youngest doctoral degree recipient in the institution’s history. He earlier received his B.A. in sociology and M.Ed. in education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Poisson is licensed to practice law in both the District of Columbia and Virginia and is a member of the American Bar Association, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces Bar, the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, and the Virginia Bar Association. He has been cited by the District of Columbia Bar for his “extraordinary contributions” to its Pro Bono Program. Poisson lives in Sterling, Virginia, with his wife and daughter.

WHO WE ARE

David E. Poisson, Ph.D., J.D.

Senior Counsel

A veteran of numerous national and state-level legal, legislative and political contests, David Poisson serves as Senior Counsel to Widmeyer's public affairs practice.

Poisson previously served as legislative director and chief counsel to the late Senator Terry Sanford (D-NC), whose successful 1986 campaign he ran. He later became chief of staff and counsel to then-Representative, now Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), helping orchestrate Durbin’s ultimately successful effort to ban smoking on airlines.

During a more than decade-long career with many of the nation’s largest and most influential trade groups, including the National Education Association and the Electronic Industries Association, Poisson became – and remains today – one of Washington’s foremost association experts. He has been chief executive of three major international trade associations in the automotive and electronics industries and is one of only a very few Washington public affairs professionals who is also a certified association executive. Most recently, he has been of counsel to the Washington law firm of Howe, Anderson & Steyer, whose clients include over 75 trade associations in industries as diverse as construction, mining, insurance, manufacturing and printing.

Poisson is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing northeastern Loudoun County. First elected in November 2005, he is a member of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee and the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee. He also serves on the Substance Abuse Services Council and the Manufacturing Development Commission.

A graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law, Poisson also earned a Ph.D. in higher education at the University of Arizona, becoming at 24 the youngest doctoral degree recipient in the institution’s history. He earlier received his B.A. in sociology and M.Ed. in education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Poisson is licensed to practice law in both the District of Columbia and Virginia and is a member of the American Bar Association, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces Bar, the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, and the Virginia Bar Association. He has been cited by the District of Columbia Bar for his “extraordinary contributions” to its Pro Bono Program.

Poisson lives in Sterling, Virginia, with his wife and daughter.