John D. Freshman

Senior Director of Governmental Affairs*

John Freshman has worked on all of the major national environmental legislation — the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Solid and Hazardous Waste acts, the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. He has spent his 30-year career synthesizing, distilling and presenting complex public policy issues to decision makers in Washington D.C. — first in government, and then on behalf of public and private clients. John’s experience includes both houses of Congress, especially the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency, where he was special advisor to the administrator. He has developed relationships across the country in many disciplines, including politics, government, business, law and science.

John advises clients on legislative, regulatory and permit problems and develops and implements strategies for overcoming those problems, including advocating by drafting issue papers, using grass-roots methods, communication plans and direct lobbying.

John’s particular emphasis is water — supply, conveyance, funding projects, quality, treatment and reclamation, and recycling. He develops innovative funding strategies for water and wastewater projects, and has represented municipalities and private entities across the U.S. that are involved in water delivery, wastewater treatment and private sector investments in water. He utilizes his broad experience to assist clients with flood control protection and water supply funding for recycling projects.

While John’s focus has been on water and the environment, he has also handled health, trade and tax issues with success.

John is married with three grown children. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland. 

*Not admitted to the practice of law

Education

• Middlebury College, B.A. (1970)

Bar Admissions

• *Not admitted to the practice of law

Awards

• Team Member, U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Government Relations Law Firm of the Year" (2014)

Authorships

• “Industry Must Prepare for Fracking Wastewater Regulations”, Oil and Gas Monitor (April 11, 2012)

John D. Freshman

Senior Director of Governmental Affairs*

Legislative, Regulatory and Permits

• Achieved only amendment to Federal Clean Water Act for a public agency in Texas, resulting in reduced mass emissions of toxic (priority) pollutants
• Worked on all aspects of legislation and implementation of Central Valley Improvement Act
• On behalf of a California city, which has a very advantageous pre-Central Valley Project Bureau of Reclamation water supply permit, convinced Bureau not to regulate water allocation between the American and Sacramento rivers
• On behalf of a California city, handles all federal strategy with Washington, D.C. office of FEMA for classification and mapping
• Negotiated with National Marine Fisheries Service on steelhead issues for Carmel and Salinas rivers
• Worked with EPA and Congress to provide extra time for San Diego outfall

Funding and Grants

• Secured $100 million in funding for water pollution facilities on the West Coast to make more than 800 million gallons per day available for recycling
• Obtained an ongoing annual appropriation of $70 million for essential flood protection in California
• Worked in bi-partisan way with local congressmen and senators to increase, authorize and obtain funding for American River level hardening, Sacramento River bank stabilization, reop of Folsom Dam and South Sacramento streams
• Secured $40 million for Title XVI water reclamation for a California city
• Obtained $100 million for appropriations for rural water supply in South Dakota
• Secured funding for Orange County water recycling and secondary treatment facility construction
• Obtained funding for Monterey County water resources for recycling facility on Salinas River
• Obtained initial funding for Riverside-Corona feeder for California water district

John D. Freshman

Senior Director of Governmental Affairs*

• Senior Director of Government Affairs, Greenberg Traurig LLP, 2012-2014
• Principal, Troutman Sanders Strategies, 2006-2012
• President, Freshman Kast, Inc., 1991-2006
• Founding Principal and Executive Vice President, Jellinek, Schwartz, Connolly and Freshman, Inc., 1981-1991
• Special Advisor to the Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1979-1981
• Associate Director, U.S. Regulatory Council, March-November 1979
• Senior Staff Member, President’s Reorganization Project, 1977-1979
• Professional Staff Member, Subcommittee on Environmental Pollution, U.S. Senate, 1976-1977
• Staff Assistant to Senator Edmund S. Muskie, National Commission on Water Quality, 1973-1976
• Legislative Assistant, Senator Robert T. Stafford, 1971-1973
• Human Services Planner, Vermont State Office of Economic Opportunity, 1970-1971
• Staff Assistant, Senator Richard Schweiker, 1969-1970