“When the Walker Art Center embarked on a major campus redevelopment project in 2013 to integrate its 7 acre campus with the adjacent 11 acre Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, I reached out to David and compelled him to return as COO. This was after a long hiatus when he was Ordway Center’s CEO and after 7 years as a management consultant with important arts clients throughout the U.S. I knew I needed a veteran chief administrator with deep local knowledge, strong fundraising experience, and political savvy to secure critical state bond monies and plan and oversee campus-wide construction efforts. I also knew that I needed breakthrough thinking on institutional change and difficult strategic questions, which is where his consulting experience was so valuable. David was an excellent thought partner and change facilitator for me as a leader. In 2017, we successfully completed the project on budget and on time, exceeding the fundraising goal and welcoming over 1 million visitors in the first year of operations.”