Professional Preparation and Service
Summary
Education: Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, degrees in Management and Business, institute for educational management
Institutions: Vanderbilt, Harvard, Birmingham-Southern, Carnegie-Mellon, Auburn
Training: Planning, Psychology, Leadership, Marketing
Services: Author, Coach and Consultant, Teacher and Speaker, Program Leader for Education and Public Service
Experience: Coach to college students and alumni, Executives, Business owners, Boards of Directors, Career Search Clients, Speaker for student seminars and banquets, patriotic events.
Honors: Above and Beyond Award, American Village; Loyalty Award, Life Leaders; 10 Outstanding Young Citizens in Alabama
Education
- Jefferson County Schools in Alabama
- Auburn University (Business)
- Birmingham-Southern College (Masters in Management)
- Harvard University Institute for Educational Management
- Carnegie-Mellon University College Management Program
- Vanderbilt University (Doctorate in Educational Leadership)
- Doctoral research and dissertation: Time Priorities of Effective College Presidents in the South
After graduation, returned to Alabama and started a professional practice as author, coach, trainer, and consultant, which led to Life Leaders Institute.
Experience
- Founder and Director, Life Leaders Institute (nonprofit service)
- Author of books, workbooks, articles, blogs
- Executive Coach: C Suite; Business owners, presidents, and officers; Boards
- Life Coach: individuals, teams, couples, families
- College adjunct professor and lecturer teaching Life Planning and Leadership, Strategic Planning, Management, Business Planning, Entrepreneurship
- College administrator focused on planning, advancement, and administration
- College fraternity leadership and management consultant, speaker, coach for students and alumni
Services
- Planning consultant – individuals, teams, organizations, boards
- Author – Teacher – Speaker – Trainer – Classroom teacher – College lecturer
- Coach – Executive Coach – Life coach – Board of Directors Coach
- Founder and Director for Life Leaders Institute – public programs
David has been learning, teaching, and coaching principles and practices of life planning and best-self leadership since he was a college student. Part of his calling to help educators help students write plans for school and life comes from his desire that schools had done that for students and most people he knows. Now, we can. He also coaches executives, individuals, boards, and other policy makers….
I. Best-Self Leadership, Plan for Life, and Master Your Goliaths:
- Books and Planbooks (topics for briefings, presentations, coaching), such as Best-Self Leadership Strategy, Plan for Life, Professionalism Under Stress, Attitude and Ability Assessment and Development, Earning and Delegating Empowerment, Motivating Values, Purpose of Life…more in progress
- Coaching for Executives, Individuals, Couples, on Plans, Implementation, Personal/Professional Development
- Subscription to Invitations and Information sent via email
- Subscription to Dr. David Blog by Dr. Dyson with email alerts when posted
- Briefings for leaders on concepts, strategies, plans, approaches to people and organizational dev.
- College lectures, workshops, classroom teaching, and consulting with leaders
- School programs, assemblies, classroom teaching
- Professional Development Seminars for Faculty
- Student leadership presentations, courses, and programs
- Strategic planning for individuals, organizations, communities
II. Freedom, Patriotism, Veterans Day History and Character Education:
- Advising educators on rationale and strategy to teach students Plan for School and Life, Veterans Day Founding History and Character Traits, Freedom to Flourish, and Best-Self Leadership
- Online resources for teachers
- Book on Veterans Day Founding and Patriotism in Action
- Poster Veterans Day Founded in Alabama for schools, veteran lodges, city halls, tourism venues, and patriots
- Presentations, classroom teaching
III. Farm and Ranch
- Seminars and workshops for 12 +/- hosted in the farm house or barn loft
- Coaching to instruct, serve as sounding board, private Q&A
- Plan writing and improving in the barn loft overlooking a pond, on a chair or bench next to one of two ponds–can include walks in the woods on trails or around pastures, garden and orchard, grooming horses
- Events for younger students can include learning sessions on horses such as earning trust, developing instincts, training, grooming, trimming hooves, and using math to determine how much to feed….
- Focused curriculum teaching aimed at your needs selected from college and professional development topics
For more work for nonprofits and other public service: Life Leaders Institute Services
More about David and Life Leaders
David serves as president and director of programs for Life Leaders Institute, 501 (c)(3) nonprofit registered as Life Leaders America. The Institute does research, publication, teachings, and service, including support of the Life Leaders Association to present public programs for people who want to participate, plan, and take action. Life Leaders Ranch is developing to support training and coaching with people learning, planning, and renewing, some with horses, plus supporting patriotic events using horses.
He also serves as lecturer and program presenter for colleges, schools, and other organizations wanting to develop people and processes to reward and guide desired actions and results. You can teach and speak at your organization or on radio and television programs.
He and co-founder Johnny Johnson (1946-2001) started the Personal Leadership Association in 1992 (expanded to Life Leaders after the “911” attacks on America in 2001, including the Patriotism in Action book and service program). Life Leaders has presented public seminars on Plan for Life and other areas of Best-Self Leadership monthly for over 25 years. In 2012, David downsized his practice to invest in public service through Life Leaders to restore Veterans Day Founding history and recognition to Alabama via the U.S. Senate, Governor of Alabama, and Mayor of Birmingham. Also, he has taught classes in schools and public seminars on Veterans Day Founding History and Character Education, its connection to Freedom to Flourish, Plan for School and Life, and Best-Self Leadership.
Publications and Presentations
Planbooks published or in progress available as program handouts:
- Best-Self Leadership Strategy
- Plan for 7 Areas of Life
- 7 Steps to Set Achievable Resolutions
- Master Your Goliaths
- Veterans Making Comebacks
- T.I.M.E.
- 7 Motivating Values
Books
- Presidential Priorities
- Suggestions for Successful Living: Positive Ideas for the 7 Areas of Life
- The Career Planner
Co-author (with Col. Stretch Dunn, USA Ret):
- Professionalism Under Stress www.ProfessionalismUnderStress.com
- Patriotism in Action www.PatriotismInAction.us
Life Leaders Web Pages:
Email: