About

On a campus of roughly 1,200 students and 140 staff, David sees Southside's challenges and strengths play out every day. With strong partnerships already in place with the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Department, school resource officers, and Southside Behavioral Health, joining the coalition's leadership team felt like a natural next step.

He's candid about what he sees in the hallways: students navigating social and emotional struggles, substance use, and risky behaviors that make earning a diploma harder. His goal is simple — give every student an equal shot. He also knows that reaching the families who need services most remains one of the region's toughest challenges.

What gives him hope is the people. Educators across Mecklenburg and surrounding counties are passionate and determined, and he believes better outreach can connect more families to the resources that already exist.

His own path wasn't straight. He struggled through school and earned his diploma through an alternative learning program before transferring from community college to a four-year university — a fact he doesn't hide, because it shapes how he shows up for students.

He leads with a quote from Truett Cathy: "It is better to build boys and girls than to mend men and women."

And fun fact: He wants to go skydiving.