Mr. Donald W. Washington was elected a Director on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund in October 2021.
Mr. Washington hails from Sulphur Springs, TX. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY. In 1989, he received his Juris Doctor degree from South Texas College of Law, Houston, TX.
He began his career in the U.S. Army as an Air Defense Artillery officer, and later served in the U.S. Army Reserve. As a citizen-soldier, he was an engineer at Conoco, Inc. responsible for engineering and construction of multiple refinery and other projects and later involved in the business-side of Conoco. Following law school, he served as the in-house counsel for Conoco. Later in private practice, he was a legal advisor and litigator in commercial and business matters, employment, personal injury, medical malpractice, other tort, criminal prosecution and defense, and intellectual property law.
In 2001, President George W. Bush nominated him, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him as the U.S. Attorney for Western Louisiana. He was sworn in as U.S. Attorney one week after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. While serving as U.S. Attorney, he was on the U.S. Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and other subcommittees advising the Attorney General on Anti-Terrorism, Civil Rights, Controlled Substances, and Native American Issues. He was the Chairman of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force covering the southeastern U.S. He was also a leading force for the USDOJ-led "Cold Case Initiative" that began in 2006 to identify and investigate racially-motivated murders committed decades earlier.
In 2010, Mr. Washington returned to private practice in Lafayette, LA, as a partner in the Jones Walker LLP law firm serving as a seasoned litigator, and a counselor on personal, business, and community matters.
In October 2018, Mr. Washington was nominated by President Donald J. Trump, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and sworn in as the 11th Director of the U.S. Marshals Service on March 29, 2019. As the Director of the oldest U.S. federal law enforcement agency, he oversaw 5,400 operational and administrative employees spanning 94 judicial districts, 218 offices, and four foreign field offices managing all operations involving judicial security, fugitive apprehension, witness security, asset forfeiture, prisoner operations, and special enforcement operations in the U.S. and its Territories.
In 2021, Mr. Washington returned to Jones Walker LLP as a partner where he serves as a trial attorney, litigator, and counselor. He represents corporations and individuals in internal investigations, government inquiries, and law-enforcement actions. He has extensive experience litigating and investigating oil and gas issues, commercial disputes, white collar crime, healthcare and other fraud, and other civil and criminal litigation. He serves as a mediator and counsels business and law enforcement entities in handling internal and external leadership issues.
Mr. Washington serves on the boards of Home Bank (Home Bancorp, Inc.), University of Louisiana-Lafayette Foundation, and the Louisiana Military Museum. He previously served on The Innocence Project of New Orleans, Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, Community Foundation of Acadiana, Pines to the Gulf Girl Scout Council, Lafayette Airport Commission, Lafayette Education Foundation, United Way of Acadiana, and Goodwill Industries of Acadiana.
He is an avid aviator, fitness enthusiast, and lifelong student of leadership. He and his family reside in Lafayette, LA.