Dave has been a gay rights activist since his teens. As the Chairperson of the Conference Council on Youth Ministries for the California Nevada Methodist Church he was a supporter who stood up for the rights of gay and lesbian clergy. As a young adult, Dave became active as a member of the California Alliance for Pride and Equality (CAPE), which later became the foundation of Equality California (EQCA). Dave has always been a leader involved in community activities and helped out as a Volunteer Supervisor with San Diego Pride as well as well as the San Diego Aids Foundation.  Dave continues to volunteer as a member of the Solano Pride Center, the Solano-Napa LGBTQI Organization Coalition, the Vallejo Gay Network, Stonewall Democrats, Log Cabin Republicans, NAACP, and EQCA as well as Marriage Equality USA's Solano County Chapter. 

Dave met his husband Jeff in 2000, filed as Domestic Partners with the state of California's Domestic Partner Registry in 2001 and then was married in the rotunda of San Francisco's City Hall along with many other same-sex couples on 15 February 2004 during the "Winter of Love".  Dave has been featured in the documentary I Will, I Do, We Did! which chronicles the historic San Francisco same-sex marriages of 2004, in AB205 training materials prepared by the Department of Justice, on websites such as The Rainbow Wedding Network, Gay Rites, Love & Pride as well as in the Spouses for Life-A Wedding Album exposition. He and Jeff were featured on ABC Television's Good Morning America as California became the second state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriages (albeit briefly).

Dave has served on Marriage Equality USA's Board of Directors since 2006 and was previouslypresident of the organization for two years. In 2008 he legally married his husband Jeff during California's "Summer of Love". Dave was joined by Co-President Cathy Marino-Thomas in May 2012 and they served as co-presidents of the Board until 1 July 2013.

Dave's highly sophisticated list of fave foods includes: Kraft Mac & Cheese, Oscar Meyer hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, PB&J sandwiches, and Spaghettios!  His favorite books are The Celestine Prophecy, The Tenth Insight and The God Memorandum.