David N. Townsend ’81 of Swampscott, Massachusetts, passed away on February 10 following an aneurysm and brain stem stroke and surrounded by family. David was an Asian studies major and active in the Jack-O-Lantern, WFRD-FM, the Marching Band, and the Interdormitory Council. After Dartmouth David earned a master’s in public policy from the Kennedy School at Harvard. He was a vice president at Economics and Technology Inc. (ETI), where he established a reputation in communications policy and regulatory consulting, before founding international telecommunications consulting firm David N. Townsend & Associates (DNTA) in 1996. DNTA provided strategic guidance to governments and companies in more than 50 countries. He was a tireless advocate and a cherished mentor to many.  His influence lives on in the respect, gratitude, and friendship of colleagues. David loved music and organized and co-taught a seminar on the history of rock music during his senior year at Dartmouth. He enjoyed going on long drives listening to rock, jazz, and the blues. He also loved to write and combined those interests in a 2016 book, Rock ’n’ Roll and War and Peace, examining the relationship between popular music in the rock era and the politics and ideology of war and peace. David also loved hiking near his hometown and published Retracing Steps: An Exploration of Nature and History on the Massachusetts North Shore in 2020. David is survived by his wife of 30 years, Jennifer, and children Jordan, Alexandra, Benjamin, and Riley.