Dave Griffith is an independent senior advisor working with The Delaware Valley Family Business Center.
He most recently served as the Executive Director and Head Coach of Episcopal Community Services of the Diocese of PA. He currently serves as Executive Director Emeritus. www.ecsphilly.org
He is currently the Chairman of Modern Group Ltd of Bristol, PA. Chairman of Hoober Inc. of Intercourse, PA; Chairman of Garman Builders of Lititz, PA; Lead Director of Verus LLC of Princeton, N.J.; and Vice Chair of Keim Inc. of Charm, Ohio, and lead director of Crazy Aarons Putty World of Norristown, PA. He is also a trustee of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. He is an advisor to IBM, Caliper, Journal of Social Innovation, DIEMlife, Fairmount Ventures, DVFBC, and several clients with DVFBC.
He also serves as the Board Chairman of the Academy of Natural Science of Drexel University and as a trustee of Drexel University. He is also a director of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, Ride to Work, and World Café Live. He is a member of MHEDA, Material Handling Equipment Dealers Association, and past or current members of ARA (American Rental Assoc.), AED (Associated Equipment Dealers), NAW (National Association of Wholesalers) YPO (Young Presidents Organization), WPO (World Presidents Organization), and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities. He is Chairman of the McEwen Family Scholarship Trust and a Chairman of the Griffith Family Foundation.
Before ECS, he served as President and CEO of The Modern Group LTD. Before Modern, he was an executive with the IBM corporation, ROLM, and MCI. He is a former trustee and officer of The Westminster School in Simsbury, Connecticut, and a former director of the JJ Haines Company, Mountain Laurel Spirits LLC, Delaware Valley Floral Group, NAWIDE, Leadership Inc. Philadelphia, Victory Farm, and the Economy League. He is a past senior warden of Trinity Episcopal Church and a past president of MHEDA.
He is a nationally recognized speaker and author on the issues of Leadership, Governance, Poverty in America, Community Engagement, and Family Business. Dave is a guest lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Non-Profit Leadership program and has spoken at Harvard, Temple, Kenyon, Drexel, Rutgers, and many trade associations and corporations. He is the author of the Muddy Boots Blog, www.themuddybootsblog.com, and a guest columnist at the Philadelphia Business Journal.
He is a graduate of Kenyon College ’76 and The Westminster School ‘72. At Kenyon, he received his B.A. with honors in Economics and History. While at Kenyon, he played DIII Soccer and Lacrosse, volunteered with the local Fire Department, served as an EMT and on the fire line, and worked as a resident advisor. He is also a member of the Lambda chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon. He is a member of Lookaway Golf Club, Balsam Lake Club, and Trinity Episcopal Church. He is a life member of Trout Unlimited.
He and his wife of forty-five years, Jacqui, have two married adult children, one grandson, one granddaughter, and one active Westie. Dave is an avid fly fisherman, fly tier, and outdoorsman. All things being equal, he would rather be on the waters of the Beaverkill.
His philosophy of life of Muddy Boots can best be captured by Theodor Roosevelt’s The Man in the Arena…“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”