1. Look Up…Challenge Poverty
Dignity,Justice,Impact, Community
griffithd@ecs1870.org
215 840 8103 (C)
215 351 1413 (W)
David Griffith, sinceJuly 2013, is theExecutiveDirector ofEpiscopal Community Services ofPhiladelphia. Witha legacy oftackling the impacts
of chronic poverty in the Philadelphia region, ECS asks allindividuals to look up, to challenge poverty, and empower individual choice and
advocates thatto makechange in ourcommunity wemust allbeoneon this issue. ECS addresses the self-identified needs ofindividuals and
families by integrating data-driven research and implementing non-judgmentalinnovativebestpractices todelivermeasurable impacts. He is
the first non-clergy, non-MSW to head the organizationin its 145yearhistory. He is an advocate for individuals and families in Poverty and
believes strongly thatthecallto service along withthecallfor inclusion, diversity and the equalaccess to opportunity is core to the Episcopal
faith tradition.
Dave is also Chairmen ofModern GroupLtd an employeeowned industrial holding company (A70 yearoldfirm,representing Hyundai forklifts
and constructionequipment, Generac generators, Bandit chippers, Terexand Konecranes and other leading brands as wellas service, parts and
rentals to allmakes in the space), Chairman ofDelawareValley FloralGroup (The largestwholesale floristin the US and#2 worldwide) , Director
and GovernanceChair of theJ. J.Haines Company(The largest flooring wholesaler intheUS), Chairperson ofVerus Advisory Board ( a leading
provider of data analytics in litigationsupport), andManager ofMountainLaurelSpirits LLC.(Maker ofDad’s Hat Rye Whiskey) He is also serves
as a member of the IBM Midmarket Advisory Council. His nonprofit involvements are Vice Chairman of the World Affairs Council of
Philadelphia, Trusteeand Governance Chair oftheAcademyofNatural Sciences ofPhiladelphia,Chairman ofthe McEwen Family Scholarship
Trusts andDirector oftheGriffith FamilyFoundation. His blog “Wear Muddy Boots” www.wearmuddyboots.comis widely followedandfocuses
on the issues of leadership, talentdevelopment, management, faith, and the call to service. He is nationally recognized as an authority on
governance in both for profit and nonprofit settings.
He is a frequent lecturer onleadership and the call toservice at theUniversity ofPennsylvania’s Nonprofit Leadership Program, the Wharton
School, the Fox School of Business, and Rutgers School ofEngineering. He is a former trustee, officer, and chair ofDevelopment at The
Westminster School, Director of ThePennsylvania Biotechnology Center,SeniorWardenofTrinity Episcopal Church, YPO ofPhiladelphia and
forum officer, and past president ofthe Material Handling Equipment Dealers Association (MHEDA) and a past director ofthe National
Associationof Wholesalers Institute for DistributionExcellence(NAWIDE). Hehas been a member ofseveralsearch committees’ including the
CEO search for WorldAffairs Council, the Bishop search for the Diocese ofPennsylvania, and the CEO search for the Academy ofNatural
Sciences at Drexel.
Prior to joining ECS, Dave was President and CEO over a 20 year span with Modern Group Ltd, and a senior executive with MCI ( VP of
Marketing) and ROLM (Director ofSales & Distribution) for a numberofyears. Hestarted his business career atIBMin 1976 where in 1979 he
was the recognized as oneof thetop marketing representatives in theUS and laterserved as BranchManager,AdministrativeAssistant to the
President, Regional Manager and as Directorof Marketing. Davegraduated fromKenyonCollege with honors in 1976 with a BAin Economics
and History, and The Westminster School in 1972. While at Kenyon he worked as an EMTand fireman with the College Township Fire
Department and played both D-III soccerandlacrosse.He is married toJacqui McEwen Griffith andthey havetwo adult children, one dog and
one very old cat.