David J. Crothers, 66, of Bismarck passed away on April 22, 2022, in Fargo. A private burial service will take place in Elgin, ND, followed by gathering of friends from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, 2022, at the Bismarck Funeral Home, 3723 Lockport Street, Bismarck.
David was born in Dixon, IL to Donald and Marion Crothers. He grew up in West Fargo, American Samoa and Albuquerque. He was a fourth generation North Dakotan. David received his undergraduate and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and worked in some form of governmental affairs his entire adult life.
David is survived by daughter Riley Crothers (Grand Forks) and her siblings Ryan, Daniel and Caitlin, mother Marion Crothers (Bismarck), brother Daniel Crothers (Bismarck), nephew Taylor & Emily Crothers (Grand Forks), niece Danielle (Fargo), cousin Dawn Jackson & Neva Paulson (Bonita Springs, FL), cousin, Lance and Carmen Jackson (Glenwood, IA), and numerous treasured friends, most specially Pam Mohl. David was preceded him in death by his father, Don.
While a person’s work life may tend to define them, David was happiest when at his Lake Melissa Lake home with Riley and their family and friends, or on a golf course anywhere tee stands and greens could be found. David also had a passion for his farm and ranch land south of Elgin, ND, which was previously owned and cared for by his mother and aunt, grandparents, and great-grand parents. It was there that David and Don oversaw planting more than 10,000 trees and shrubs, placing considerable acres in the Conservation Reserve Program, and annually cultivating animal food plots.
Since December of 1988, David was the chief executive officer of the statewide telecommunications association now called The Broadband Association of North Dakota, previously known as the North Dakota Association of Telecommunications Cooperatives. There he represented the interests of independent telephone companies before the United States Congress, the North Dakota legislature, the executive branch, regulatory bodies, state and federal regulatory commissions, and the media.
David testified before houses of Congress on behalf of the independent telecommunications industry. David was nationally recognized for his knowledge of the industry and the ability to convey the impact of specific issues affecting independent telephone companies, their employees, and subscribers. He regularly spoke to audiences of state, regional and national telecommunications associations throughout the United States on industry issues such as universal service funding, spectrum management and taxation policy. He was an advocate before state and multi-state groups seeking to establish effective political action committees and expand their government affairs and public policy initiatives.
From February 1987 to December 1988, David was the Confidential Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, Office of Government and Public Affairs at the United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. He was appointed to that position by President Ronald Reagan to be a liaison between the Department of Agriculture and the nation’s Governors, state departments of agriculture, state legislators, county officials and the associations that represent them. He represented the USDA on agricultural issues of concern to bipartisan state leaders, authored the USDA’s Office of Governmental and Public Affairs weekly report to the White House, wrote briefing papers for the Administration on agricultural issues in the states, and apprised the Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs on developing agricultural issues and analyzed them for impact on USDA policies.
Before joining the USDA, David worked for United States Senator Mark Andrews, in Washington, D.C. and Fargo. There he served as a legislative assistant to Senator Andrews in Washington, D.C. and returned to North Dakota as the director of the Senator’s statewide offices.
David’s family profoundly appreciates the outpouring of support to them and David. It has been a true testament to a life well lived and a man deeply loved.