Dave is a union organizer, teacher, and democratic socialist who is proud to be your neighbor in Ann Arbor’s fourth ward. 

Dave joined his first labor union working on an oil rig in northern Canada, later inspiring him to organize in his university community in Virginia. He co-founded a labor organization that helped the local AAUP and SEIU win COVID vaccination coverage and fair contracting for undocumented custodial staff. Since moving to Ann Arbor, Dave has continued his involvement in labor organizing, picketing during the GEO university strike, participating in LEO’s organizing committee during contract bargaining, canvassing, and serving as a union steward. As an experienced organizer, Dave knows how to build collective power. 

Raised by two public school teachers, Dave learned the value of universal education at an early age. This set him on the path to teach internationally. Dave taught ESL in South Korea, drama to Palestinian children in the Occupied West Bank, and improv to monks in a Buddhist monastery in Thailand. He earned his PhD in 2022, and is currently a lecturer in International Studies at U-M. He teaches courses on climate change, colonialism, imperialism and what the students’ collective responsibility is to the international community. As a public educator, Dave believes in the importance of serving others with care and compassion.  

Over the years, Dave has been involved in several movements for social justice. In college, Dave became an activist for Palestinian liberation, HIV/AIDS awareness, and Afghan women’s rights. He also worked in Washington, D.C. as an advocate for North Korean human rights, conducting research for reports delivered to Congress and the United Nations. Dave was also part of the many Black Lives Matter and anti-ICE protests in D.C. and he petitioned his local city council to remove all anti-homeless architecture, such as park bench spikes. Because of his many years as a grassroots activist, Dave understands the importance of listening to the needs of the local community. 

Ann Arbor is a remarkable city with an incredible history of commitment to the common good and local democracy. This city should carry its legacy into the future by growing community power, not private profits, so that everyone can flourish, not just survive.