David Turkovic

David Turkovic served as special assistant to the assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs, leaving in January 2021. According to his LinkedIn profile, in that role, he acted as legislative liaison to the House of Representatives, Senate, and White House on behalf of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisitions & Sustainment and Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering. Additionally, he advised senior leadership in the Defense Department on the legislative process, including the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy, Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Advanced Capabilities, Defense Innovation Unit, Defense Science Board, and Defense Innovation Board.

In May 2021, he took on the newly created role of Director for Industrial Policy at the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), a trade association representing defense contractors and manufacturers. AIA’s members include eight of the top 10 recipients of Pentagon spending in fiscal year 2020, and the group has advocated for 5% annual defense budget growth.

In a May 2021 press release, AIA stated that Turkovic would “help shape advocacy and outreach on AIA priorities, including supply chain health and resilience, assured access to materials and resources, and investment in advanced technologies.” The release highlighted his role in “microelectronics, hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, and other advanced capabilities.”

Prior to his role as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, Turkovic worked as Special Assistant for Legislative Affairs to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment.

Turkovic responded to a request for comment to confirm that his new position at AIA involves understanding both the legislative process and Defense Department policy, and noted that he had referred to his ethics training and documents in his search for a new position.