Former Congressman George R. Nethercutt, Jr., who is the founder and chairman of the Nethercutt Foundation, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2005. Mr. Nethercutt's historic 1994 victory unseated then-Speaker of the House Tom Foley, the first defeat of a sitting Speaker since 1860. Mr. Nethercutt served for ten years on the prestigious House Committee on Appropriations. He also served as a member of the House Science Committee and the Energy and Space & Aeronautics subcommittees.
Mr. Nethercutt was the co-founder and co-chairman of the House Diabetes Caucus, the largest bipartisan group of House Members dedicated to efforts to find a cure for diabetes. He has received numerous awards from the American Diabetes Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and other public interest groups for his commitment to the cause of curing diabetes.
Among Mr. Nethercutt’s legislative accomplishments are historic legislation to open trade with foreign countries, appropriations to bring high technology capability to the U.S. Defense Department, and modern improvements to American agriculture. He left Congress in January 2005.
Born in Spokane, Washington, Mr. Nethercutt was educated at Washington State University, receiving a BA in English in 1967, and received his Juris Doctor degree from Gonzaga University in 1971. In 1971, he served as Law Clerk to a federal judge in the U.S. District Court, Anchorage, Alaska, and from 1972-77 worked in the U.S. Senate in Washington, DC where he focused on issues of oil and gas, natural resources, mining and commerce. From 1977-1994, Mr. Nethercutt practiced law with offices in Spokane, Seattle and Almira, Washington, focusing on corporate, estate and probate, and adoption law. During his years in private practice, he devoted himself to numerous community service organizations, including the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery for the prevention of child abuse (Co-Founder), the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Spokane Chapter (President), the Spokane Central Lions Club, and several Masonic organizations.
In April 2005, President George W. Bush appointed him to serve as U.S. Chairman, Permanent Joint Board on Defense-U.S./Canada. He served as a member of a congressionally-mandated defense advisory board reviewing the readiness of the United States to withstand a WMD attack.
In addition to his Foundation work Mr. Nethercutt is Chairman of Nethercutt Consulting LLC, a legislative consulting firm in Washington, DC. He currently is a member of the Board of Directors of Hecla Mining Company, The Washington Policy Center, ARCADIS NV, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He also serves in an advisory position with Antelum Partners, a venture capital firm, and is Of Counsel to Lee & Hayes law firm in Spokane, Washington and BlueWater Strategies LLC in Washington, DC.
Mr. Nethercutt has been married to Mary Beth S. Nethercutt since 1977, and they have two children, Meredith and Elliott.
