D.J. Bettencourt

D.J. Bettencourt is best known for serving as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, including as the majority leader from 2010-2012. From 2017-2021, Bettencourt served as Governor Christopher T. Sununu’s Policy Director.
He currently serves the Deputy Commissioner of the New Hampshire Insurance Department, where he works towards the development and enforcement of insurance laws within the State of New Hampshire.
==Early Life and Education==
D.J. Bettencourt was born in 1984, and played baseball in high school and college. D.J. had a fruitful sports career, attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst on a baseball scholarship before transferring to the University of New Hampshire. As a member of the UNH Baseball Club, his career included two all-conference selections in two separate conferences. He received two bachelor's degrees in both Political Science and Communications, and a minor in Philosophy in 2007 and 2008. In 2015, he also received his Juris Doctorate from University of New Hampshire-Franklin Pierce School of Law.
==Career==
Living in Salem, NH for his entire life, D.J’s political career began as a campaign volunteer for the 2000 George W. Bush presidential campaign. He also worked as an intern on Gordon J. Humphrey's campaign for Governor in 2002 and Mitt Romney's campaign for Governor in 2002. From 2004 to 2012, D.J. served as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, and was the majority leader from 2010 to 2012. In 2017, New Hampshire Governor Christopher Sununu named him as his Policy Director. He served in that role until 2021. Since then, D.J. Bettencourt has served as the Deputy Commissioner of the New Hampshire Insurance Department.
* Salem, NH Budget Committee: 2016-present
* Salem, NH Charter Commission: 2022-Present
* D.J. is a member of the Republican Party, as is also a registered member of the British Conservative Party.
* He is a personal friend of former Connecticut Governor John Rowland.
* First elected as a NH state representative at the age of 20, following the 2010 elections, he became the youngest House Majority Leader in the nation (at age 27) and the youngest in New Hampshire history.
* Bettencourt also served as a member of several charitable and nonprofit organizations, including the Museum of American Finance, New Hampshire Historical Society, New Hampshire Humane Society, and Republicans for Environmental Protection.
* Election as New Hampshire House Majority Leader: Bettencourt won the House majority leader's post on December 1, 2010, in voting by the Republican House caucus. In the first round Bettencourt led with 117 votes, while Representative Paul Mirski of Enfield received 78 and Representative Shawn Jasper of Hudson received 74. After the first round, Jasper threw his support behind Bettencourt. In the second round of balloting, Bettencourt received 172 votes to Mirski's 89. In a show of unity after the second ballot result, Mirski asked the caucus to make Bettencourt's selection to the post by unanimous consent, to which the caucus agreed.
==Philanthropy==
D.J. Bettencourt makes a point to serve his community not only in a political sense, but also in a more hands on approach through community outreach projects, donations, and by keeping his hometown community and New Hampshire thriving.
In 2022, he formed The D.J. Bettencourt Scholarship for Insurance Professionals to provide scholarship funding to help a young student that is studying to enter the field of insurance. His goal is to raise more awareness to the financial hardships that weigh on students along their way to a career in insurance, and he wants to help out a deserving student on the way.
The concept came from the creation of a first-of-its-kind college course designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn about the insurance industry between the New Hampshire Insurance Department and New England College. 
==References==
==External links==
* Personal website
* Official website
* D.J. Bettencourt Scholarship website
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* D.J. Bettencourt on Medium
Category:1984 births
Category:American business executives
Category:University of Massachusetts alumni
Category:University of New Hampshire alumni