David's Vitae

Ordained a Lutheran (ELCA) minister in 1975:

• Campus Pastor—Texas Lutheran College, Seguin, Texas, 1975-79
• Parish Pastor—Grace Lutheran Church, Bandera,Texas, 1979-85
• Pastor/Developer, Alternative style mission congregation, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Dessau, Austin, Tx, 1987-93

• Wartburg College, 1973
• Texas Lutheran College, 1975-76 (1975 NAIA Division II National Champions; 1976 NAIA Division II National Semi-Finalists)

A unique spiritually-based ranch camp of the Lutheran Association of Southwestern Camping. David developed the program in the first two full years of operation. It was a working ranch, using 19th century methods of operation and modes of transportation, including trail drives, outdoor camping and cooking, and daily ranch chores.

Program Director of PAPPA, 1985-93

Parents Anonymous Prison Population Advocacy, a mutual-help corrections program of Parents Anonymous of Texas. Inc. for child sex offenders and their victims. David created and developed this program through the Office of the Governor, Criminal Justice Division. In 1991-92, PAPPA was recognized as a Texas Corrections Association Exemplary program. He also coordinated development and training for the Texas Heartline, a 24-hour crisis-intervention telephone service for parents and families.

State Coordinator, Victim Offender Mediation/Dialogue (VOM/D) program, 1993-2001

The VOM/D program of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Victim Services Division was initiated, developed and directed by David since it's inception in December, 1993. VOM/D was recognized as the first in-system, state-wide, victim-centered, victim-initiated process to provide victims of violent crime the opportunity to meet with their offenders in order to facilitate a healing process, including death row cases. At the time of David's leaving, over 550 victims had requested to initiate the process; over 50 volunteers had been trained; of the 41 mediations and 14 creative alternatives that had been facilitated, 12 had been completed over the final 3 month period of his tenure, bringing the program to an established operational level. The average preparation time for facilitation of the mediation process in a mediation case was 12 months. That extensive preparation of both victim and offender confirmed the unique quality of a program that stressed the empowerment of victims, offenders and the community in order to create self-awareness, personal growth and healing.

Co-Chair, Board of Directors, VOMA
Victim Offender Mediation Association, an international association for the advancement of best practices and innovative programs in the field of restorative justice, 1999-2001.

Other Experience:

• Assistant to the President for Special Projects, Texas Lutheran College, Seguin, Texas, 1970-71
• Prison Guard, Texas Department of Corrections, Diagnostic Unit, Huntsville, Texas, 1970
• Assistant to the Director of Admissions, Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, 1974-75
• Critical Incident Stress Management, Grief and Loss, and Post Traumatic Response

• In a juvenile justice documentary produced by KIKIM Media entitled “ In Search of Law and Order”
• On the national television network “Rolonda” Talk show, August 24, 1994
• The NHK Japanese Broadcasting Company filming of the First Annual Victim Offender Mediation/Dialogue Training and Awareness Symposium, March 24-25, 2000
• In the August 17, 2000 issue of ROLLING STONE Magazine

Graduate Studies: Masters of Divinity--Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, 1975 (Who’s Who Among Students, American Colleges and Universities, 1974-75)

Undergraduate studies: Bachelor of Arts (History)--Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, Texas, 1971. (President-Kappa Pi Alpha Fraternity, 1969-70; Resident Assistant, 1968-71; Most Valuable Freshman Football Player- recipient of the Dr. Frederick Shoitz Award, 1967; Most Valuable Football Player, 1970; Team captain, 1969 and 1970 ).