Dennis Cheng ‘97 is an American development executive. He served as the National Finance Director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and was the Chief Development Officer of the Clinton Foundation from 2011 to 2015. He also served as the Deputy Chief of Protocol of the US Department of State from July 2009 to July 2011.
Dennis has an MS in international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a BA in political science and economics from Swarthmore College, where he founded the school’s mock trial club.
Alumna Leah Thatcher Powell ’97 met Dennis when she moved to Hong Kong and started fourth grade at HKIS in 1988. They became instant best friends and have remained in contact over the years. She commented, “Dennis is an outstanding example of the type of people who attend HKIS. Not only was Dennis academically smart, he was and is always looking to serve others around him. From a young age, he had the desire to make the world a better place and showed this in all his actions. He looked for opportunities to help others grow academically and emotionally. As a new student at HKIS, I was grateful for his kindness as he showed me around the school and helped me feel comfortable in a new country. He helped me in math and science and wanted to see me succeed. Over the years, Dennis has grown into an outstanding example to all around him. He’s kind, a hard worker, and one of my best friends. Dennis not only inspired me as a fourth-grader, he continues to inspire me to this day to be a better person.”