About Dave
Dave has served as the State Representative for the 24th Middlesex District since first being elected in 2012. During his time in office, he has emerged as one of the most passionate and thoughtful leaders in the Massachusetts House, with a successful track record of moving progressive ideas into law.
Originally interested in pursuing a career in music, Dave went to Ithaca College in the Finger Lakes region of New York. While he performed professionally for a time after college and still plays guitar to this day, he ultimately decided to study economics and graduated as a member of the International Honors Society in Economics. After graduation Dave worked as an economic analyst for Wharton Econometric Forecasting, a national leading economic consulting firm.
Looking for a new challenge, he moved to Washington, DC in 1992 and worked on the Clinton/Gore Transition team and then at the White House on the Task Force on National Health Care Reform led by Hillary Clinton. He also worked in the congressional office of Congresswoman Eva Clayton of North Carolina, the first African-American elected from either of Carolinas since the Reconstruction-era. Dave has said serving in her office was “one of the greatest honors of his professional career.”
Realizing a law degree would help him better understand our society and how public policy impacts daily life, Dave returned to the Washington College of Law at American University in DC, graduating with honors and as a Member of the Law Review. Following law school, he accepted employment at a leading Boston law firm and practiced as a lawyer for 16 years, including as counsel at a cutting-edge biotechnology company and an innovative clean energy start up.
Seeking out perhaps his biggest professional challenge of all and continuing a lifelong call to service, Dave sought and was elected to the office of State Representative for the 24th Middlesex District. He considers it a great honor to serve his constituents and the Commonwealth.
Dave comes from a large happy family of seven children and has many nieces and nephews to whom he is quite close. To this day, the entire family (over 20 strong) vacations together at least once a year. Having lost his father very early in life, he realizes the enormous importance of family and community bonds. His father ran a successful business and after his death, the family relied on Social Security Survivors benefits to get by. The importance of the social safety net is not an abstraction for him. HIs mother is the greatest inspiration of his life as she held the family together as a single mother of seven children and never faltered in helping her kids live full lives. She was by his side when he was sworn into office and though he lost her in 2016, he still feels her presence in his life. In his free time (such as it is), he likes biking, the arts (including playing that guitar) and travel.