David is responsible for managing Edinburgh’s public parks and greenspaces, including the city’s nature reserves, woodlands, allotments and urban forest.

As Head of Edinburgh’s Parks Service he has secured a number of accolades for the city, including winner of Britain in Bloom, COSLA’s Gold Medal for Service Innovation; Improvement, the UK's Best Parks, Grounds and Horticultural Service Team award, and Fields in Trusts’ Best UK Landowner. As a chartered ecologist and environmental manager, with degrees from Stirling, Heriot-Watt and Huddersfield Universities, his career has ranged across the public, academic and voluntary sectors.

In recent years he has also been a director of Volunteer Development Scotland, BTCV Scotland, Oatridge College and the Falkirk Environment Trust - promoting volunteering as a means for positive social and environmental change