Prior to his nomination as deputy secretary, David Turk was the deputy executive director of the International Energy Agency, where he focused on helping countries around the world tackle their clean energy transitions. He also directed reports on the digitalization of energy systems, the future of clean hydrogen, and a project tracking progress on a wide range of clean energy technologies.
During the Obama-Biden administration, Turk coordinated international technology and clean energy efforts at the US Department of Energy. During this time, he helped spearhead the launch of Mission Innovation—a global effort to enhance clean energy innovation.
Turk also served as special assistant to the US President, and senior director at the US National Security Council, where he coordinated interagency legislative affairs efforts by the full range of national security agencies and provided legislative advice to council decision-making. He also previously worked at the US Department of State, including as deputy special envoy for climate change, and helped to coordinate New START Treaty ratification efforts in the US Senate.
Earlier in his career, he worked in both the US Senate, primarily on national security issues, and as the staff director of the national security subcommittee of the US 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.