David grew up just outside the city limits of Little Rock, Arkansas on a horse farm. He spent time climbing and backpacking in the Ozarks. He was also a fishing and duck and dove hunting enthusiast.

David recently completed his junior year at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He led a group of students who invested in an overall energy audit of the college. This resulted in the formation of a sustainability plan that is to be finalized next year.

David has not decided what career to pursue in the future, and is interested in exploring as many options as possible. His internship at CMMAP has provided him an opportunity to explore atmospheric science and climate policy.

As part of his internship, David worked at the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL). NCSL provides legislators with bipartisan information on a variety of issues. They also reply to information requests from the general public about how certain legislative issues affect specific groups or individuals. His work at NCSL "opened his eyes to the policy process through direct interaction with state legislators."

David completed a research project during his internship. He conglomerated academic research behind carbon pricing, specifically cap and trade and carbon taxation. He investigated the advantages and disadvantages of each method for NCSL, and ultimately for state legislators. He examined the proponents and opponents of each, and prepared a small publication on carbon pricing for NCSL. David also did some individual research at NCSL for his undergraduate thesis.

After graduation, David plans to go on a bicycle trip from Colorado Springs to Sao Paulo, Brazil. His goal is to study failed renewable energy projects in South America along the way. He hopes that understanding why these projects failed can help to provide energy in developing countries. David will eventually attend graduate school and possibly get a degree in business or law.