A native Pennsylvanian, Dave was born and raised on a small, family beef farm in the Allegheny Mountains. No stranger to work, Dave put in many hours on the farm as a young man, meticulously caring for his 4H and FFA project steers, lambs, pigs, chickens and turkeys and working in his father’s sawmill. In his spare time, Dave enjoyed hunting in the vast woodlands surrounding his home and playing baseball.

Dave excelled in high school and went on to attend the Pennsylvania State University, graduating with his B.A. in Sociology in 2006. During his stay at Penn State, Dave developed a fascination with the Southern Appalachia. Its culture, heritage and its people intrigued him. When it came time for Dave to choose a law school, he chose the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia to experience life in this part of the world. During law school, Dave made many trips to Northeast Tennessee and could not find another place like Elizabethton.

Since graduating law school in May of 2009, Dave has decided to make a life here by practicing law and, in the course of that venture, serving the people of Northeast Tennessee. Dave was sworn in to the Tennessee Bar on November 9, 2009 by Chancellor G. Richard Johnson.