David J. Brown Email & Phone Number

Bearden Brown LLC—led by founder and principal David J. Brown—consults with leaders of nonprofit organizations seeking to build more effective executive and governance capabilities at key moments of change. Nonprofit success—built on a foundation of mission clarity and focus—relies on the ability of leaders to connect with stakeholders, staff, and the public in ways designed to deliver on the mission, expand the organization’s influence and get desired results. David has an established four-decade record of growing and strengthening organizations at local, state, national, and international levels. His knowledge of nonprofits and NGOs is combined with proven fundraising experience, program conceptualization and delivery, effective public engagement, extensive governing board involvement, forward-looking strategic planning, and leadership development

Washington D.C. Metro Area

As Chief Preservation Officer, David oversaw the Trust's Preservation Division—the organization’s largest—and provided four decades of experience in working to save historic places and build thriving, livable communities. After assuming oversight for the reorganized division in 2010, David worked to focus and grow the organization’s key programs: Historic Sites, National Treasures, ReUrbanism, and Advocacy. With the Trust’s most important physical and historical assets—the 27 National Trust Historic Sites—David led the development of a board-approved vision which articulated the Trust’s purpose and goals in owning these irreplaceable treasures. He also oversaw the development and implementation of a $21 million Critical Priorities campaign which focused on responsible physical and fiscal stewardship.With a cross-organizational team, David helped reshape the Trust’s field work from a dispersed, thinly-resourced effort to the campaigns for National Treasures that bring deep engagement, national impact, and alignment with organizational mission. In his work to bring a handful of disparate efforts directed toward the revitalization of cities into the ReUrbanism initiative, David led the reshaping of programs to provide clarity and impact. The campaign to save the Historic Tax Credits (HTC) was a key advocacy effort in response to fast-rising challenges. The Government Relations team identified the HTC as a key preservation tool at risk more than five years before the arrival of a Republican Congress and White House in 2017 poised for tax reform in part because of David's decades-long involvement with this preservation economic incentive, which has resulted in the private investment of more than $131 billion to support the rehabilitation of more than 42,000 historic buildings. With the time to build support, the Trust was ready to play its key leadership role in the high-profile and high-stakes campaign which resulted in the successful retention of the HTCs.

Prior to David’s oversight of the reorganized Preservation Division, he served as National Trust EVP with wide-ranging responsibilities. When he arrived at the National Trust, the organization was working to move from a 40-year reliance on $7 million in annual federal funding (within a total budget of $35 million). From 1999 until its completion in 2003, David provided staff leadership for The Campaign for America’s Historic Places, helping raise $135 million ($25 million more than the original goal) and building the basics of the development office that has now carried the National Trust through two additional—and successful—campaigns. He has successfully cultivated and solicited numerous six, seven, and eight-figure gifts.The conception, solicitation, and execution of the decade-long Partner in Preservation (PiP) partnership with American Express and its Foundation president Timothy McClimon—a partnership which has brought more than $20 million to the Trust and preservation projects across the country—exemplifies David’s approach to development, partnership, outreach, and entrepreneurship. The interest in online voting by American Express coincided with the development of the Trust’s first comprehensive website, PreservationNation.org. Following his work on the capital campaign, David took the lead of the cross-departmental team to develop this online portal showcasing the Trust’s work.

Washington, Dc

Charleston, South Carolina Area

David joined the National Trust as the director of the organization's southern office, which was responsible for work in 11 states from Virginia to Louisiana.

Charlottesville, Virginia Area

As the founding executive director, David led the Preservation Alliance from an all-volunteer structure to a powerful coalition of 150 organizations representing more than 60,000 Virginians. Supported by a lean but highly professional staff, the Preservation Alliance of Virginia played important statewide roles in preservation advocacy, communication, promotion of preservation as a stimulus for economic development and growth of the preservation movement.The Preservation Alliance of Virginia's advocacy leadership helped spur the enactment of state tax credits for rehabilitation, leading to nearly $1 billion in credits, $3 billion in private investment, and the rehabilitation of more than 2,300 buildings since 1997 (to date) in communities throughout Virginia. Beginning the two-year effort with ground-breaking research on the economic impacts of preservation, this campaign moved to a statewide educational outreach program and ended with a successful advocacy campaign in the General Assembly for state rehabilitation tax credits. As chairman of a gubernatorial study commission in the late 1980s, David led an advocacy effort that resulted in Virginia General Assembly backing for an increased level of financial support for preservation and creation of both the Department of Historic Resources and a statewide preservation revolving fund. As a national spokesman, David also testified before Congress as well as the Virginia General Assembly on key issues of importance to America’s preservation movement.

Staunton, Va

David directed a locally-based 1200 member private nonprofit group with programs that included design assistance to hundreds of property owners, preservation planning, heritage tourism and development of an award-winning education program for city school children.

Greater Atlanta Area

David coordinated the State Historic Preservation Office's involvement in cultural resource planning and historic rehabilitation tax credit program. The historic tax credit program at that time was among the largest state programs in the nation in terms of number of projects.

Ellaville, Ga

Served as the State Historic Preservation Office's representative in central Georgia to strengthen existing groups and support new preservation programs.

Nashville, Tn

David was responsible for donor cultivation and collections outreach to potential donors in anticipation of the state museum’s move to new facilities.

Master’S Degree, City/Urban, Community And Regional Planning

Bachelor'S Degree, Historic Preservation And Conservation