David Gadsden is an applied Geographer with over 25 years of experience designing and implementing geographic information systems (GIS) to address local and global challenges. David joined Esri, the Environmental Systems Research Institute, in 2002.  Through the course of his career David has applied The Science of Where™ to advance positive outcomes on complex topics ranging from: eradicating Polio, responding to disasters, protecting biodiversity, advancing tribal sovereignty, preserving green infrastructure, historic preservation, poverty reduction and sustainable development.  David established the Esri Nonprofit Program in 2010 which now serves thousands of nonprofits globally. Today, David leads the Conservation team in Industry Solutions which aims to foster collaboration and sharing of conservation GIS methods and the authoring of operational system configurations made available through both philanthropic programs and Esri’s sustainable business practices. 

David’s career in geography began in the early 1990s at the University of Washington where concerns about inequality, resource scarcity, climate change and poverty led him to complete an undergraduate degree in Geography / GIS in 1995. Thereafter David served as a US Peace Corps Volunteer on a community based natural resource management program in rural Tanzania from 1996-1998. In his early professional career, David architected and implemented GIS solutions to address challenges ranging from environmental remediation, social sciences, public safety, emergency response and construction engineering while working for both commercial and nonprofit organizations. David was raised in the Naches Valley near Yakima, WA where his family managed a small orchard growing apples, cherries, and pears.