David Towne Bio
My story begins in Seattle- born and raised. I’m a big Seahawks fan and am still taking prescription medicine to get over the SuperSonics leaving town for Oklahoma City.
I attended Point Loma College in San Diego, where I graduated with a BA in Business Administration. I received a tennis scholarship and played four years (three of those years at #1 singles). Tennis, San Diego, a campus on the Pacific Ocean...what a GREAT combination! Friendships were forged during this time that have passed the test of time.
During my Sophomore and Junior years of college, I jumped into my 1976 Datsun B210 (a dirty orange color) and traveled for three months across the country, visiting 33 states, meeting all kinds of people, and putting 15,000 miles on my little sports car. There were no cell phones, and I had only a Rand McNally map and an ice cooler to keep me going.
Upon my return, I met this beautiful woman named Sophia. We dated for the next two years and married upon my graduation from college. She is my best friend, helpmate, mother of our four grown children, and the Mimi of our three grandsons. Sophia is a dazzling beauty with a heart that beats for others. She is my 10! (move over Bo Derek).
With my business degree, I went into sales as a territory representative for American Home Foods. During those four years, I represented various product lines that included: Chef Boyardee, Dennison’s Chili, Ranch Style Beans, and JiffyPop Popcorn, to name a few. As much as I enjoyed the freedom and monetary incentives of this position, I realized there had to be more to life than selling truckloads of chili and making money.
With the encouragement and support of my wife, I entered a Masters in Teaching program at Seattle University to become a teacher, which had been in my heart during my college days. After graduating, we moved to Tucson, Arizona where I began my years in education as an 8th grade history and English teacher at Flowing Wells Junior High. For 10 years, I taught these wonderful young minds, coached tennis, was an instructional coach, and was part of the Professional Development team for the district.
In 2001, I moved to Pusch Ridge Christian Academy where I spent 15 years teaching, leading the Professional Development program, coaching tennis, and was the Principal of the middle school. Those were busy but fulfilling years in Christian Education.
During this time, the University of Arizona offered me a scholarship to be part of their doctorate program for Educational Leadership. After completing all the coursework, and passing the written and orals, I embarked on the dissertation stage of the program. I fumbled, tumbled, and crashed through the next three years without the Ed.D letters behind my name. This adversity and disappointment I experienced has created empathy for those that I worked with to form new perspectives of what is important and meaningful in life.
In 2015, I joined the Leman Academy of Excellence schools as the Director of Professional Development. The brand new school expanded from one campus to six schools during my tenure. The training of hundreds of new teachers and the creation of a system of growth for returning teachers was implemented. The joy of working with such dedicated professionals and leaders was a delight.
Romans 12 Ministries, a non-profit organization, was created by a small group of us with the express purpose of relating, refreshing, and restoring pastors, their spouses, and other ministry leaders back to the joy of ministry. What an honor to partner with the leaders and churches in our community during times of challenge, heartache, and disillusionment.