Chip Slaven is counsel to the president and senior advocacy advisor for the Alliance for Excellent Education (Alliance). He provides strategic and legal advice and leads special projects for Alliance President Bob Wise, a former West Virginia Governor. Working directly with Governor Wise, Mr. Slaven co-originated and developed Digital Learning Day, a major grassroots education campaign that includes participation in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. He currently coordinates the Alliance’s data and privacy portfolio and specializes in personalized learning issues. He is the author of “Understanding Student Learning: The Need for Education Data,” “Federal Student Privacy Protections: What Is FERPA and Who Does It Protect?,” and “The Each Child Learns Act” which is model legislation for states on personalized and digital learning.

Before joining the Alliance, Mr. Slaven was engaged in private legal practice representing complex business organizations in the areas of government contracts, government affairs, and white-collar compliance and defense. Prior to his legal career, he was a senior level state government official, congressional employee, and political campaign worker for more than twelve years in the employ of Governor Wise. He served on Governor Wise’s senior staff as director of federal policy and intergovernmental affairs and was his chief point of contact with the White House and federal executive branch—including the U.S. Department of Education, Congress, and other governor offices. Mr. Slaven served as chair of the National Governors Association’s Natural Resources Staff Advisory Council (SAC) and the Southern Governors’ Association’s SAC. When Governor Wise was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mr. Slaven served as his district director. Mr. Slaven also has considerable experience in federal and state political campaigns and fundraising.

Mr. Slaven earned his JD and BA degrees from West Virginia University. He is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and West Virginia.