David Thornburgh
Encyclopedia
David Thornburgh is Executive Director
of the University of Pennsylvania
's Fels Institute of Government
and a frequent commentator on regional development and civic affairs. He has been recognized by Leadership Philadelphia as one of the most trusted and respected civic "connectors" in the Philadelphia area. He is the son of former Pennsylvania governor and U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh
.
Thornburgh graduated from Haverford College
in Pennsylvania
with a B.A. in Political Science. He later attended Harvard University
's Kennedy School of Government where he received a Masters in Public Policy (MPP) degree.
Thornburgh went on to become the Director of Civic Affairs at the CIGNA Corporation in Philadelphia. In 1988 Thornburgh was appointed as Director of the Wharton Small Business Development Center, the consulting and training arm of the Wharton School's top-ranked Entrepreneurial Center, where he helped 20,000 entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses, raise $40 million in additional capital, and in the process create 4,000 new jobs in the region. In 1994, he left the SBDC to become the Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, one of the nation's oldes and most respected private sector-led regional "think and do" tanks. Following his time at the Economy League, in 2006, Thornburgh was named President and CEO of the Alliance for Regional Stewardship, a best-practice network of public and private leaders building competitive regions. In 2007 and 2008 he also served as a Senior Advisor to the Econsult Corporation, a Philadelphia-based economic consulting firm.
Thornburgh has received numerous awards including an Eisenhower Fellowship in 2000 and was a finalist for the White House Fellowship in 1992. In 1991 he was chosen by the "Philadelphia Business Journal
" as one of '40 Business Leaders Under 40'. He and his wife Rebecca McKillip Thornburgh, a Wharton-MBA-turned-children's book author, have lived with their two teenage daughters in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia since 1995. Lifelong musicians, Rebecca and David perform in an alt-country band called Reckless Amateurs that appears regularly in the Philadelphia area.
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
's Fels Institute of Government
Fels Institute of Government
The Fels Institute of Government is the University of Pennsylvania’s graduate program in public policy and public management. Its practical approach to public management education, its Ivy League pedigree and its relatively small size make it one of the nation's leading boutique programs in public...
and a frequent commentator on regional development and civic affairs. He has been recognized by Leadership Philadelphia as one of the most trusted and respected civic "connectors" in the Philadelphia area. He is the son of former Pennsylvania governor and U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh
Dick Thornburgh
Richard Lewis "Dick" Thornburgh is an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as the 41st Governor of Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1987, and then as the U.S...
.
Thornburgh graduated from Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
with a B.A. in Political Science. He later attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's Kennedy School of Government where he received a Masters in Public Policy (MPP) degree.
Thornburgh went on to become the Director of Civic Affairs at the CIGNA Corporation in Philadelphia. In 1988 Thornburgh was appointed as Director of the Wharton Small Business Development Center, the consulting and training arm of the Wharton School's top-ranked Entrepreneurial Center, where he helped 20,000 entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses, raise $40 million in additional capital, and in the process create 4,000 new jobs in the region. In 1994, he left the SBDC to become the Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, one of the nation's oldes and most respected private sector-led regional "think and do" tanks. Following his time at the Economy League, in 2006, Thornburgh was named President and CEO of the Alliance for Regional Stewardship, a best-practice network of public and private leaders building competitive regions. In 2007 and 2008 he also served as a Senior Advisor to the Econsult Corporation, a Philadelphia-based economic consulting firm.
Thornburgh has received numerous awards including an Eisenhower Fellowship in 2000 and was a finalist for the White House Fellowship in 1992. In 1991 he was chosen by the "Philadelphia Business Journal
Philadelphia Business Journal
The Philadelphia Business Journal is a weekly business-oriented newspaper published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is published by the American City Business Journals....
" as one of '40 Business Leaders Under 40'. He and his wife Rebecca McKillip Thornburgh, a Wharton-MBA-turned-children's book author, have lived with their two teenage daughters in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia since 1995. Lifelong musicians, Rebecca and David perform in an alt-country band called Reckless Amateurs that appears regularly in the Philadelphia area.