Over decades advancing climate and clean energy solutions from the White House to the State Department and the U.S. Department of Energy to the International Energy Agency, Dave Turk has learned that global transformation requires marrying bold ambition with real-world progress. The building sector and WorldGBC are uniquely positioned to advance immediate, replicable, and scalable impact. As a Board member, Dave will help forge regional and global partnerships to support the WorldGBC community.
Dave Turk is currently a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. Turk previously served as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy from March 2021 to January 2025. As Deputy Secretary, Turk served as the number two official and Chief Operating Officer of a $50 billion per year organisation. He took a leading role in implementing historic clean energy legislation, including coordinating with the White House, interagency partners, companies, investors, NGOs, and other key stakeholders. Turk has also focused on early-stage innovation, including the launch of a series of Energy Earthshots. Turk led U.S. delegations to various G7, G20, IEA, and climate conferences, and coordinated bilaterally with dozens of countries in the Western Hemisphere, Africa, Asia, Europe, and from around the world.
Prior to his nomination as Deputy Secretary, Turk was the Deputy Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, where he focused on helping countries around the world to make progress on their clean energy transitions. Turk coordinated with all 31 IEA Member countries; various other country Partners; and a wide variety of companies, investors, and NGOs. He also helped lead various analytical efforts, including Digitalisation and Energy, the Future of Hydrogen, and Tracking Clean Energy Progress.
In the Obama-Biden Administration, Turk served for a first time in the Department of Energy, including spearheading the launch of a global effort to enhance clean energy innovation. Turk has also been a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director at the U.S. National Security Council, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change at the State Department, and a Staff Director of the National Security Subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee.
Turk was born in Quito, Ecuador, and raised in Rock Falls, Illinois. He is a graduate of both the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Virginia Law School. He and his wife, Emily Turk, have three children.
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