Dave will be remembered as a man of character, a loyal leader, a consummate professional and a damn fine golfer. In fact, there were three things that Dave held dear above all others—his faith, his family, and his belief in the profession and the people he served for 30 years.Dave began his career in 1980 as an advertising salesperson for Technical Publishing, which published Control Engineering magazine. Through various corporate acquisitions, Dave was promoted to publisher of Control Engineering, serving in that role for nearly a decade.But Dave had a bigger dream—to launch a publication that would promote automation as the key ingredient in helping manufacturers achieve production and business success. And so in 2003, Dave and his team of former colleagues and new business partners premiered the first issue of Automation World.From the beginning, Dave’s knowledge about and love for the automation industry were obvious. “I’m just so enthused to come to work every day here,” he could often be heard to say. When cancer struck, Dave’s enthusiasm, courage and strength carried him through five long years of treatment.Those of us who have had the privilege to know and work with Dave—some of us for decades—will remember him as larger than life. Dave could energize a room just by walking in, whether that was a conference filled with hundreds of people or an intimate dinner with colleagues. He cared about people and wanted to make sure every last person was having a good time. We called it “getting the Dave treatment.”Dave was a man of vision and integrity, a gentleman in business, and a gentle man to all who met him. While we have lost our leader, his vision will live on in these pages of Automation World. God speed, dear friend.
