William S. Stokes IV

William S. Stokes IV is the chairman of the Washington Network Group.

Bill Stokes is an executive search professional specializing in government relations, government contracting, defense, homeland security, energy, technology and telecommunications sectors. His clients include Law Firms, Associations and Non-profits, Corporate Representation Offices, Government and Public Relations Firms, Foundations and Grant-making Institutions. Bill manages business development and leads executive-level searches.

Previously, Bill worked as a consultant to corporations and emerging companies, non-governmental organizations and economic development agencies, designing and executing business development strategies with an emphasis on sales and marketing implementation. His client work included counsel on business intelligence; political, economic and country risk assessment; government relations and public affairs; media relations and corporate communications; and trade and investment promotion.

Bill is a seasoned non-profit manager, having served as Director of Development at the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS), where he was responsible for fund raising, directed the corporate Associates Seminar Program, and oversaw media and congressional outreach. Additionally, he was Chief of Staff to the President at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in Washington, D.C.; Program Director at the National Council for International Trade Development (NCITD), where he lobbied the U.S. Congress on behalf of American industry; Consultant in eastern Germany, where he evaluated firms identified for privatization; and Program Coordinator at the Washington Research Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a leading German political foundation.

Bill pursued graduate studies in international economics, business, and Western European politics at the George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs. He holds an undergraduate degree in history and political science from the College of William & Mary in Virginia, where he minored in German studies. Bill also studied at the Universität Trier in Germany and Georgetown University. He speaks German.

Bill is Chairman of the Washington Network Group, an association of 650 professionals representing private sector firms, multilateral institutions, government agencies, the Congress, foreign embassies, and the media. He is a founding Steering Committee Member of the International Business Exchange Council (IBEC) of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce; and is an Advisory Board Member for the Institute of Entrepreneurship at the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, Shenandoah University. Additionally, he is a member of The Metropolitan Club of Washington, D.C.

Bill has served as a Board Member of the World Affairs Council of Washington, D.C.; President of the Phillips Exeter Academy alumni/ae association of Washington, D.C.; City Leader of First Tuesday Washington, D.C.; Board Director of the German American Business Association (GABA) in Washington, D.C.; and Director of the Manfred-Wörner-Seminar for German-American Understanding, now at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.