Scott Harshbarger

Scott Harshbarger's lengthy career in public service includes experience as a prosecutor, regulator and public advocate, providing him with the expertise to provide counsel and strategic legal advice to CEOs, general counsel, trustees, public officials, and other boards of governance on such matters as fiduciary responsibilities, governmental inquiries, fraud investigations, and crisis management. He will also provide legal advice on governance issues, design governance programs, conduct training and provide assessments for businesses, non-profit institutions, governmental entities, and other enterprises. Mr. Harshbarger has served as national President and CEO of Common Cause, Attorney General for the state of Massachusetts, Middlesex County District Attorney, among other positions of leadership.

Mr. Harshbarger served as the President and CEO of Common Cause in Washington, DC for three years. In this role, he led the reform and renewal of nationally recognized, independent, nonpartisan citizens' lobbying, advocacy and government and corporate watchdog group. Mr. Harsbarger built partnerships and coalitions with business and grassroots organizations to push passage of the landmark federal campaign finance reform legislation, commonly known as McCain-Feingold. Mr. Harshbarger also launched Common Cause's corporate governance project in 2002 and dramatically expanded Common Cause's national agenda to include election reform and monitoring the performance of executive agencies.

Mr. Harshbarger served as the Massachusetts Attorney General from 1991 to 1999. During this time, he was elected president of the National Association of Attorneys General after serving as vice president of the same organization. As the state's leading law enforcement officer, Mr. Harshbarger worked to create a level playing field for businesses by prosecuting white collar crime, insurance fraud and enforcing child labor laws. Mr. Harshbarger led the passage of unprecedented brownfields legislation, helping spur economic development in formerly depressed neighborhoods. He was also the first Attorney General in the nation to work with the health care community and develop hospital and HMO community benefit guidelines. Mr. Harshbarger led the state's effort to be one of the first five states in the country to sue tobacco manufacturers for the costs of health care associated with tobacco use. As a result of the lawsuit, Massachusetts will receive approximately $300 million per year for at least each of the next 25 years.

During his tenure as Attorney General, Mr. Harshbarger was the Democratic nominee for governor in 1998. He received 48 percent of the votes in a close election with an incumbent governor.

Prior to his role as Attorney General, Mr. Harshbarger served as the District Attorney of Middlesex County from 1983 to 1991. He received national recognition for leadership as he created public protection bureaus for family and community crimes, and implemented projects for juvenile justice, child abuse and law enforcement training programs.

Mr. Harshbarger has also served as counsel to the State Ethics Commission, Chief of the Public Protection Bureau in the Attorney General's Office, and deputy chief counsel for the Massachusetts Defenders Committee. He is currently a board member of DC Vote and the Epilepsy Foundation. He also is on the steering committee for the American Public Health Association, and a principal for the Council on Excellence. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Mr. Harshbarger taught legal ethics at Boston University Law School, and was a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School and Northeastern Law School. He was a Rockefeller Fellow at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and is now a member of the Board of Trustees.