Meet David
David is a dedicated community advocate and an experienced decision-maker who is passionate about building a more affordable, sustainable, and inclusive city. As a teacher and researcher, David is focused on the relationship between people, the environment, and water. Understanding the interplay between water use, environmental impacts on ecosystems, river flows, and constraints on urban growth driven by access to water - something that we are all too familiar with given recent water challenges - have all been woven into his work for the last 10 years. With a background in water research and teaching about the interrelation between humans and the environment, he is well-versed in the physical and social sciences. He has been actively engaged in local initiatives to improve housing affordability, create safer streets, and support community building initiatives, such as the, across the city. From the Unite the Heights mobility improvements, to the Connaught open street, or the Renfrew/Telus Spark solar power carport, David has a track record of successful community advocacy. As a longtime resident of Calgary, he is focused on ensuring that Ward 7 remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family for generations to come.
David has served as a community association president, planning committee director, and VP-external of a community association in Calgary. He also sits on the Established Areas Growth and Change Committee, and has been directly involved in a range of different community-city committees. This includes helping to develop the solar power generation carport at Telus Spark, helping to lead an effort to see improved pathways and connections between Mayland Heights through to Crescent Heights, and contributing to the development of the first modern local area plan in Calgary - the North Hill Communities local area plan.
He also currently sits on the boards of Sustainable Calgary and Calgary River Valleys and has volunteered with a wide array of non-profit organizations in Calgary.
David is a research scientist at the University of Calgary where he focuses his work on better understanding the relationship between humans and aquatic ecosystems. This work has had him working across Alberta and Western Canada and into the Arctic. All of his research is grounded in people-environment relationships and community impacts.
Additionally, he is a teacher, having taught in the Departments of Geography and Biology and in the Environmental Science program at the University of Calgary. He has delivered courses ranging from the impacts of climate change to human-society interactions and meteorology.
Previously David has also worked in private industry as an environmental consultant, for Environment and Climate Change Canada and Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, and in a range of other positions along the way.
David has a bachelor's of science degree in geography, a master of science degree also in geography, and a doctorate in geography and water sciences. Additionally, he has completed a wide range of additional professional and volunteer-focused training.