David joined OceansAdvance in January 2021 as Program Manager Youth Outreach and Mentoring.  David arrives with an academic and professional background in ocean science, outdoor education, team management, and business operations.  As Program Manager for the Ocean Careers Immersion Project, he is focused on connecting youth with professionals in Newfoundland and Labradors essential ocean technology sector through internships and online mentoring.

Prior to joining OceansAdvance, David worked as Manager of Field Operations and Outreach with Oceans Learning Partnership, fostering partnerships and supporting experiential education programs with ocean science educators and scientists across the province. He credits much of his leadership style and team building skills to his own mentorship while working for Mountain Equipment Co-op in Ontario as Assistant Manager in Toronto and Acting Store Manager in Burlington.

David is a graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland completing a BSc in Environmental Biology at the Sir Wilfred Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook and a Graduate Diploma in Integrated Coastal Zone Management from the Marine Institute.  He pursued further studies in Applied Environmental Science at Ryerson University focusing on wetland evaluation in Ontario.

Today, David is looking forward to fostering a passion in students and educators to explore careers in ocean technology and to developing strong relationships with OceansAdvance members and stakeholders across the province.