In 2003, David was invited to Sweden, to design and direct an original Master’s program “Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability” at BTH, Karlskrona, Sweden. This internationally-recognized program has now graduated over 700 sustainability leaders in more than 70 countries. In 2007, David helped launch IMAGINE, a program of Energy-Cities, in Besançon, France focused on helping hundreds of local authorities across Europe re-imagine their energy futures.
David has been Director of Sustainability at the David Suzuki Foundation and strategic advisor for their Long Term Direction Project, guiding the Foundations’ second generation of advocacy. In 2010, he was the lead advisor for an original sustainability leadership strategy for one of Canada’s largest mining corporations. He also conceived and led an exploratory ‘Regenerative Neighbourhoods Project’ at UBC, Vancouver for two years.
While in the Bay Area, David provided strategic foresight for San Francisco’s Director of Citywide Planning, supported the City’s internal ‘Director’s Working Group’ and taught Sustainable Environmental Design and Sustainable Urbanism, at UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design. He returned to his native Kelowna, BC in 2017, to accept the position of Director of Campus Planning and Development, for UBC Okanagan where he led a team of ten professionals.
David has a Bachelor’s of Applied Science (Civil Engineering), from UBC and a Master’s of Resource and Environmental Management, from SFU and has been an avid ‘student of sustainability’ for 30 years.
He is fortunate to enjoy life’s journey and many outdoor adventures with his life partner, Katie Pease, and husky mix, Aura, including many miles hiking some of Canada’s most amazing mountain landscapes! When not chasing his two favorite individuals up the mountain trails, David can be found skiing, canoeing, cycling or tending to a prolific vegetable garden. Although, truth be told, his favourite pastime is brainstorming with colleagues about the positive potential for living systems: navigations on the pointy edge of innovation!