Born in Ft.Rucker, Alabama, Dave’s father was a career officer in the US Army. By the time he was 18, Dave had moved with his family to over 15 different communities. Dave attended George Mason University in the Washington DC area and received his undergraduate degree from Western Washington University. He was later admitted to the University of Oregon’s Graduate School of Economics.

For nearly 8 years, Dave worked in the forest for the US Forest Service and as a private contractor. In 1996, Dave made a career change to administration in the nonprofit business sector. For the next 10 years, Dave directed youth programs and provided resource development assistance to several organizations.

In 1997, Dave was elected to the Three Rivers School Board. In 2005, Dave was elected to a third term and has served the Three Rivers School District for 10 years. Dave has also served on several other Boards including Women’s Crisis Support Team, Illinois Valley Community Response Team, and Siskiyou Community Health Center