David Demarest is Vice President for Public Affairs, Stanford University. He is Stanford’s senior public affairs official and is responsible for directing Stanford’s community initiatives, and overseeing communications, government relations and special events, which includes Stanford’s Lively Arts program.

David has had a distinguished career in communications, in both the private and public sectors. His expertise has been drawn from a diverse set of experiences ranging from overseeing sensitive communications in the midst of international crises, to managing the global reputations of world-class companies, to teaching candidates for public office the nuts and bolts of political campaigns.

Most recently, beginning in 1999, David was Executive Vice President for Global Corporate Relations, at Visa International, a for-profit association of financial institutions based in California, and the world’s leading payment brand. During his time at Visa, David was responsible for external and internal communications, charitable contributions, and for more than two years had the additional responsibilities of global brand management, global sponsorships (such as the Olympics), and global merchant partnerships. He was the chief architect of Visa’s global reputation efforts, and provided ongoing strategic counsel to Visa’s CEO, senior management, business units, as well as the Visa International Board of Directors.

Prior to his arrival at Visa, he served as Executive Vice President and Director of Corporate Communications at BankAmerica Corporation. During his five-year tenure at BankAmerica, he provided strategic communications counsel to two CEOs covering a broad spectrum of communications challenges including acquisitions and divestitures, workforce reductions, the appointment of a new CEO, litigation and diversity issues, and new employee benefits programs.

Before joining Bank of America, David had a long career in politics and government. Most notably, he served four years as an assistant to President Bush and member of the White House senior staff. As White House Communications Director, he worked directly with the President, the White House Chief of Staff, and the Cabinet, and in that capacity managed a broad range of White House communications activities, including presidential speechwriting, public liaison, media relations, and intergovernmental affairs. His office was the primary White House point of contact for virtually all private sector organizations and constituent groups, as well as governors, mayors, and local officials.

His White House role followed his service as Communications Director for Vice President Bush's successful 1988 presidential campaign.

During the 1980s, he served in senior positions at two Cabinet departments. First, at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, he was Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Public, Intergovernmental, and Private Sector Affairs. He was later Assistant Secretary of Labor for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs.

David Demarest began his Washington, D.C. career in the late 1970s, working with state and local political candidates on behalf of the Republican National Committee. Before 1977, he participated in several congressional campaigns in New Jersey.

He received a B.A. in History from Upsala College, and attended Drew University Graduate School. A recipient of two honorary doctorates, he also serves on the boards of Jobs for America's Graduates (a program for at risk youth), Tripod (a program for hearing impaired children), the Josephson Institute of Ethics, and for five years has chaired the San Francisco Academy, an executive development program for public relations professionals. He is also a past chairman of the Public Relations Seminar and is a member of the Arthur Page Society.

He is a native of Glen Ridge, New Jersey and the father of two daughters. He is a frequent backpacker, mountain climber and fisherman.