David Evangelista

David Evangelista is President & Managing Director of Special Olympics Europe Eurasia and Senior Advisor for International Development for Special Olympics, Inc. He is responsible for the growth and development of the Special Olympics movement across 58 nations across Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. As Senior Advisor for International Development, David is responsible for the creation and expansion of global partnerships with United Nation agencies, foreign aid agencies, international non-governmental organizations and global philanthropy. David has extensive global experience in the areas of government relations, industry engagement, international development, thought leadership and global partnership building in support of marginalized populations. David serves on the Advisory Board of the Division of Multilateral Diplomacy for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), a current member of the Centre for Sports and Human Rights (CSHR) and is a member of the international Board of Directors for The Access Challenge (TAC). David was a former member of the High-Level Group on Sports Diplomacy for the European Commission and a former member of the Global Partnership for Children with Disabilities for UNICEF.

A Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow of the Lions Clubs International Foundation, David is Founding President of the Washington, DC Special Olympics Lions Club and currently serves as a member of the Centennial 100 Champion Lions Club based in London. An experienced guest speaker, David has delivered keynote speeches at leading universities, including Harvard University, the University of Chicago, Georgetown University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill as well as at various business institutes in Europe. He has also served as a guest speaker and presenter for the United Nations, European Union, and a range of civil society organizations on issues related to international development, global affairs, disability, and government relations. David has also provided numerous interviews to a range of media outlets, including the BBC, NPR, ESPN, and national media affiliates across Europe, the Caribbean and North America.

David has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the School of International Service of American University in Washington, DC and an Executive Master’s in Business Administration/ International Business from IESIDE in Vigo, Spain. A native of Rhode Island, USA, David, resides in Vigo, Spain with his wife and their two sons.