David Behnke

David has been a full time resident of Martha’s Vineyard since 2014. He is Managing Director and Head of US Investments for Najeti Ventures LLC, a private equity firm in Connecticut. Prior to that he worked for JP Morgan for 22 years, where he was a Managing Director and headed various divisions within the bank. He has served on the Boards of Directors of Triton Resources, Deep River Snacks, Annie’s, MVP, Data Path, Direct Fuels and Prestolite Electric. He has also served as CFO of Data Path and CEO of Triton Resources. He is co-owner of the Behnke Doherty Gallery in Vineyard Haven (and of a previous gallery in Washington, CT). David is also a professional singer and a graduate of the Opera Program at the Yale School of Music, a recipient of a grant for study at the Paris Conservatory of Music, and a resident artist with the Tri Cities Opera Company. He performs frequently on island including performances with the Island Theater Workshop. He is currently Chair of the Baker Institute for Animal Health at Cornell University on the board of the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society. Previous non-profit board positions have included the Advisory Council of the Trustees of Reservations, the CT Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, The Housatonic Valley Association, the Steep Rock Land Trust and the Washington Art Association. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, an MM from Yale University, and a BA from Hamilton College.