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Dave Burden Bio

 Simplified Timeline
Born in London June 24, 1974

Early childhood overseas – Puerto Rico, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain,

Moved to Hilton Head, SC in 1981

Attended University of Virginia 1992 – 1997

            Major – Environmental Science

Taught & Led Kayak Courses for UVa 1994 – 2000

Co-Founded SouthEast Expeditions with Bo Lusk Jr & Peter Stith 1998

Named President / CEO of SouthEast Expeditions 1998

Moved to Eastern Shore March 1999

SouthEast Expeditions opened Sunset Beach Store Location May 1999

Peter Stith moves off the Shore, and leaves SouthEast Expeditions 2001

Invited to Join Virginia Coastal Program to Develop Seaside Water Trail 2002

Named to Board of Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory 2003

SouthEast Expeditions Opens Cape Charles Store 2005

Named to Board of Northampton County Chamber of Commerce 2005

Chosen as Chairman of Eco-tourism committee for Eastern Shore Tourism Alliance

Bo Lusk accepts Land Steward Position with TNC 2007

Named to Planning Committee for Lure of the Shore 2007

Becomes sole owner of SouthEast Expeditions 2007

Community Positions

SouthEast Expeditions – Local entrepreneur since 1998.  Leading regional eco-tourism operation.  Offers internship programs which are available to local and college students.

Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory – Research, Education, and Outreach program – Board Member / Business liaison, fundraising committee, newsletter committee.

Northampton County Chamber of Commerce – Member since 2000 Board Member since 2005 – Chairman of Tourism Committee, Chairman of Harbor Party Committee, Wrote Cape Charles Section of the Eastern Shore Tourism Strategy, Wrote Eco-Tourism Section of the Tourism Strategy, Provides photographs for web page and other marketing material, on Workforce Development Committee, On Chamber Directors “short list” for just about everything.

Eastern Shore Tourism Alliance – Chairman of Eco-tourism Committee – Collected input from committee members, presented plan proposals to tourism commission, wrote the eco-tourism section of the tourism strategy.

            Planning Committee Member for 1^st Annual Lure of the Shore – Helped to Create Tourism Commission Fund Raiser from scratch in less than 6 months.  Responsible for creation of all marketing material.  Posters, invitations, passports, programs, logo creation, etc.  Created Eastern Shore Passport Program. Developed Interactive Exhibit Program.

            Media Liaison – Works with Tourism Director and staff to provide activities and information for visiting media representatives.  Provides photographs and text for newspapers, magazines, and other marketing opportunities.

Virginia Coastal Program / Seaside Heritage Program – A cooperative program housed in DEQ that brings together local, state, and federal government agencies as well as colleges, NGO’s and local businesses to create a comprehensive research approach to the seaside of the Eastern Shore

Water Trail Director – Worked extensively with the ANPDC to create 75+mile long Seaside water trail that stretches from Fishermans Island to Greenbackville and connects with Maryland water trail on Assateague Island.  Created marketing material and content for trail web site.

            As a member of the Seaside Heritage Program team Dave is involved in the peer review of many of the fascinating marine research programs that are currently under way on the Eastern Shore, and plays an active part in getting literally millions of dollars of federal and state money spent here on the Shore to allow this research to continue.

Eco-tourism Guide Certification Course Instructor – As a Guide Instructor Dave is one of very few local entrepreneurs who are certified to instruct State sanctioned classes to not only his employees, but to the employees of other eco-tourism businesses as well.  Dave is in the process of developing this course to the community college level and offering it at the Cape Charles Branch of ESCC as part of their new workforce academy.

Qualities that will help Dave to be a Great Supervisor

Leadership – with 15 years of experience leading environmental education programs and expeditions, Dave is comfortable in a leadership position.  With over 10 years experience teaching others how to become effective leaders Dave understands the dynamics involved in the relationships necessary to be an effective leader.

Communication and Bridge Building – Much of Dave’s professional experience and community service involves bridging the gap between different entities.  Whether it’s researchers and the public, conservation groups and the public, or tourists and marsh snails, Dave understands the importance of  making each party accessible to the others involved.  The communication skills necessary to make this happen rely on an ability to listen, understand, and analyze all of the information available and present it to each group in language that they understand.  The ability to be the interpreter for these different agencies has enabled Dave to promote cooperative efforts and create positive, frictionless working environments.

Familiarity with the Issues – As an active Eastern Shore resident and business owner, Dave has been involved in the community input sessions that formed the basis of the comprehensive plan.  Having grown up on the water, studied coastal eco-systems at UVa and spent time working clam beds in Cherrystone Creek, he understands the aqua-culture industry and the many factors it depends on for its continued success. 

As a believer in "Growth driven by economics rather than economics driven by growth", Dave is a strong supporter of Eastern Shore businesses.  As a board member of the Northampton County Chamber of Commerce he helped to bring the Eastern Shore Community College to Northampton County, and will continue to support the workforce development programs they are offering and planning to offer.  He sees job creation as the most important factor in the coming years.  Through supporting our aqua-culture industry, marine research facilities, high dollar, low impact manufacturing, and bringing broadband to the Eastern Shore we can create enough jobs to fill up the empty houses that surround us.

Having grown up watching Hilton Head develop and then overdevelop, he has seen what happens over time when a community that is well managed is over-run by outside influences.  He has also seen how developers can work together with communities to create positive change.  His father is a developer and Dave believes that his company, Timbers Resorts, has set an example of how to work with the local government rather than over them.

Education is a passion of Dave’s and a vital part of his job.  He has several good friends who work in our local schools and is very familiar with the challenges they face every day.  Dave believes that education is where the solutions to most of our societal challenges start.

An Invested Vision of our Future – As a local business owner, Dave has put everything he has into his business and this community.  When Dave thinks about the future of the Eastern Shore in 10, 20, 30 years, he’s thinking about his future.  Today is when the vision of that future is being formed.  It is our responsibility as a community to allow those who will be most affected by these decisions to help make them.

***Biography as originally posted follows***

Of the many words that can be used to describe what Dave Burden will bring to the job of County Supervisor, one of the first that comes to mind is perspective.  The perspective from having built his own business here on the Eastern Shore over the course of the past 8 years.  The perspective that comes from having a thorough scientific understanding of the eco-systems and coastal processes that form the foundation of this land that we all love.  The perspective developed from a lifetime of experiencing the diversity of the world around us.

Dave was born in London, England, and spent much of his early childhood living in exotic and exciting corners of the world with his parents and sister.  A childhood spent in England, Puerto Rico, Greece, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain taught Dave to keep his eyes and mind open to new opportunities, and the importance looking past cultural differences to understand the people that surround you. 

Shortly after moving to Hilton Head, SC in 1980, Dave discovered what would become a passion that flows throughout his professional life… He discovered that he loved the ocean, and the natural wonders of the Atlantic Coast.  It was also in Hilton Head that Dave started to see the effects of responsible planning, and the importance of defining the future of your community.  In 1979 Hilton Head was a sleepy town on the coast waiting to be discovered.  Needless to say, that’s no longer the case.

Dave’s migration to Virginia came with his acceptance to UVa where he majored in Environmental Science with a focus on coastal eco-systems.  It was in these college years when Dave discovered kayaking, and the impact he could make as a guide and natural interpreter.  Working in the summers in the salt marshes of South Carolina, and during the school year on the rivers of Virginia, Dave developed the leadership skills that would help him forge new ground in his chosen home on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

In the Fall of 1998 Dave formed a partnership with Northampton County natives Bo Lusk and Peter Stith* to create SouthEast Expeditions, an eco-tourism guide service providing sea kayak trips on the waters of the Eastern Shore.  When they launched this ambitious enterprise, some of their neighbors thought they were a little crazy.  “Eco-tourism will never work here.” some would say.  “We’ve tried that, it’s not for the Shore.” “Kayaks?  You’ve gotta be kidding me.” 

Well, 8 ½ years later SouthEast Expeditions has introduced thousands of people to the natural wonders of the Eastern Shore, and their stewardship has helped ensure that the marshes that they paddle through today look just like they did the day they launched their first expedition.  As President of SouthEast Expeditions, Dave Burden has been a leader in the Eastern Shore business community.  He has developed relationships with the scientific community, and worked with several local, state, and federal agencies to develop projects like the Seaside Water Trail which links the Eastern Shore from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to the Maryland Line.  Dave has developed relationships with other local businesses to promote our local economy and encourage sustainable industry and economic development.  His efforts have helped bring together business owners, community members, and visitors to the Shore in order to pursue the common goal of creating a bright future for Northampton County.

As a board member of the Northampton County Chamber of Commerce, Dave Burden has been instrumental in developing the Cape Charles tourism plan, as well as the Eastern Shore eco-tourism strategy.  He was directly involved in bringing the Eastern Shore Community College to Cape Charles, and he has been an active member of committees responsible for encouraging economic development, improving the educational opportunities available on the Eastern Shore, and developing partnerships between businesses, government, and NGO’s.

Dave Burden has seen and done a lot in his life, but the things that excite him most are those he sees in the future of his community.  Dave Burden sees an Eastern Shore where the best and brightest students graduate from high school, head off to college, and then return home to great jobs and real opportunities.  Dave Burden sees an Eastern Shore where a healthy economy can co-exist with a healthy eco-system.  Dave Burden sees an Eastern Shore that recognizes its strengths and capitalizes on them.  We hope that you see David Burden as a leader in your community and that you will elect him to serve as the District 2 Supervisor for the Northampton County Board of Supervisors.   

 

*(Peter is currently running for the Northampton County Clerk of Court.  Learn more at www.peterstith.com)