Botanist, Horticulturist, Public Gardens Professional, and Sculptor

38 years of experience in horticulture

David graduated from Clemson University with a BS in Botany. His interest in nature, history, and art led him to a career in public horticulture, where he first managed a historic plantation and gardens in Charleston, SC. For twenty years, he was Director of Horticulture at Bok Tower Gardens. In 2007, David was appointed President of the Gardens, where he helped revitalize the Gardens for relevancy and long-term sustainability and led a $16M capital campaign for the largest expansion in the Gardens’ history.

David is also an accomplished wildlife sculptor in bronze and stone. His work is represented in private and public collections, galleries, group, and individual shows and received numerous awards. He is a photographer of nature and gardens and has been published in national magazines.

David has served on national and local public garden and conservation boards. He is past President and a founding board member of the Green Horizon Land Trust, which has preserved over 6,000 acres of conservation lands in central Florida. As a child, David lived in Spain and later in Tunisia, where he was in the U.S. Peace Corps. He has been married for 42 years to Catherine, and they have a son, Stefan.