David has been a fixture at Columbine Library for almost a decade. David knew he wanted to give back to the community after retiring from his career as an actuary in 2014, and he quickly found his way onto the Columbine Operations volunteer team. David's mother was an adult librarian in the Arapahoe Regional Library District for many years, and after she passed away, volunteering at JCPL was a meaningful way for David to give back to the community in a way that honored her.
David has fond memories of his mother staying up late to read after the rest of the family had gone to sleep. To this day, David carries that love of books with him, and now he's the one staying up late, reading mysteries and thrillers (John Connolly and Robert Crais are some of his go-to authors). During the day, he prefers to dig into nonfiction — especially science and nature-related texts.
David has donated his time and energy to JCPL in a myriad of ways over the years. He previously volunteered for the Speakers Bureau, visiting local community groups and organizations to share information about the Library and advocate for JCPL during pivotal moments. He and the rest of the Speakers Bureau were instrumental in advocating for the mill levy that was passed to support the construction of a new location in South County. Despite identifying as an introvert, David has no trouble standing in a room full of people to talk about JCPL.
"Because this is meaningful to me, I feel I can be more persuasive and speak a little more passionately than if I were talking about something I knew about but wasn't as connected to," says David.
David also previously volunteered with Library to You, delivering books and other library materials to homebound patrons. He had fun connecting with people one-on-one and got to know the patrons on his route well. When the pandemic changed how Library to You deliveries operated, it left a hole in David's schedule. This past year, he has filled that hole by participating in a pilot program to assist our Kids & Families librarians in their community outreach by delivering books to preschools throughout Jefferson County. David enjoys the opportunity to interact directly with the community again and notes that the preschools he visits are so appreciative of the books they receive each month.
David laughs that his wife and son used to tease him about not having many hobbies outside of work, but since retiring, he has become a skilled potter and regularly takes ceramics classes at the rec center. After a long career focused on very structured, left-brained tasks, David enjoys exploring his creative side with ceramics. Many of the same people sign up for these continuing classes, so he has also built a community of friends in his pottery classes.
David also has a robust community at JCPL and has built friendships with many other volunteers and staff. Gordon, operations manager at Columbine, says, "David is always willing to do whatever job we need him to do, and he does it with great dedication and a positive attitude."
David certainly goes above and beyond his role as a volunteer: frequently attending community meetings and speaking up on behalf of JCPL, as well as sharing his opinion and experience as a long-time patron and volunteer. We are so grateful for David's support in all things JCPL!
