Biography of Deputy Secretary of State Dave Nelson
Dave Nelson serves as Deputy Secretary of State and Chief of Staff for the Office of the Texas Secretary of State. In that capacity, he manages agency operations and fulfills the role of Secretary when he is out of state. Deputy Secretary Nelson was appointed to the position on March 1, 2024.
His career in public service spans almost 30 years—primarily in the Texas Senate where he served as a Chief of Staff and as Director of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees development of the Texas state budget. He also worked as Communications Director for the Health and Human Services Commission and in that capacity managed media relations, public outreach, website development, and translations. Prior to his career in public service, Deputy Nelson was a journalist.
He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a bachelor's degree in communication.
