Bob Nash

Senior Associate, James Lee Witt Associates

Bob Nash is a senior associate at James Lee Witt Associates where he focuses on government relations for private sector companies and business development for the company’s emergency management services.

Before joining Witt Associates, Mr. Nash worked in presidential politics as a senior campaign manager, where he was responsible for recruiting former political appointees to assist with policy development, fundraising, voter outreach, and surrogate speaking.

Mr. Nash was vice chairman of the ShoreBank Corporation, the first and leading community development bank holding company in the country. At ShoreBank, he helped develop corporate business strategies for local bank subsidiaries in Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago. Mr. Nash chaired and led three of the corporation's nonprofit affiliates, resulting in increased integration with corporate goals, as well as new philanthropic grants for community, business, and housing development in distressed communities.

Mr. Nash was appointed undersecretary of Rural & Community Development at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during the Clinton Administration and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. As undersecretary, his responsibilities included managing 12,000 employees and the USDA's $8 billion housing, electric, telephone, business, and public facility loan and grant programs.

Mr. Nash was also senior advisor to the Secretary of Agriculture on improving the effectiveness of policies and programs impacting the growth and development of rural communities. He later served as the assistant to the President and director of presidential personnel for the White House where he directed the recruitment, nomination, and confirmation of presidential appointees for the last six years of the Clinton Administration.