Born in Grant County and raised on a tobacco and cattle farm, David developed a strong work ethic at an early age. He attended Williamstown and Grant County public schools through his freshman year in high school, when he moved with his mother and stepfather from Williamstown to San Antonio, Texas.
Though he returned to Kentucky right after his high school graduation, David began to understand his calling to public service as a young man in Texas. He volunteered on numerous campaigns, was elected Vice President of the Bexar County Young Democrats and attended the 1982 Young Democrats National Convention. In 1983, he had the distinction of serving as a Congressional Page for Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez in the United State House of Representatives.
After graduating from high school, David returned home to Kentucky to attend the University of Louisville. He was a member of the inaugural class of the Equine Industry Program and received a bachelor of science in business administration. During and following college David worked in Kentucky’s signature Thoroughbred horse industry for over 20 years.
From 1988 to 1991 David worked in the communications offices of Churchill Downs and Turfway Park. He was hired by Equibase – horseracing’s official database - as the Kentucky “trackman” on the company’s first official day of operation – January 1, 1991. David advanced steadily at Equibase over his 18-year career and was named Senior Manager of Operations in 2004. It was in this capacity that David gained expertise in supervising a large staff, project and process management, managing data and developing statistics.
On February 11, 2009, after achieving a high score on the qualification examination, David was appointed Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator by Governor Steve Beshear. He was sworn into office by Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Mary Noble on February 27.
David’s service in Kentucky didn’t begin, though, with his appointment as Property Valuation Administrator. In 2003, he was appointed by the Mayor to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Greenspace Commission. He also served on the Good Foods Co-Op board as a member of the Board of Directors, as well as the board’s Vice-President.
In April 2004, David was elected to the Executive Committee of the Fayette County Democratic Party, and was elected Chairman, as well as a member of the Kentucky Democratic Party State Central Executive Committee, in May 2005. He was unanimously reelected as Fayette County Democratic Party Chairman in 2008, and was selected as a member of the Kentucky delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. It was during these years of volunteer service that David developed the leadership and organizational skills to provide thousands of Fayette Countians the opportunity to become active in their community and participate in democracy.
