A first-hand account of a Dave’s teachers had convinced him that he hated history. Once he got out of their clutches, though, he learned that he actually loved it, and ended up teaching it for 36 years. He did not instruct the way they did. Rather than focus on a boring litany of names, battles, and dates, he explored enduring, compex human issues that all societies of any epoch must face; and equally complex but fascinating biographies of individuals who faced difficult moral choices in their quest to lead authentic lives and make a difference. As Dave continued his learning (the best way to learn it is to teach!), he discovered more and more fascinating and incredibly inspiring women who’d never made the textbooks. (Duh! The books had been written by men! Dave felt cheated, and vowed not to similarly let his students down.) In his engaging and memorable talk (He’s a raconteur!), Dave will share his favorite women heroes. If you attend, they’ll become yours, too.

David Ellison is an Ohio native (but he escaped!), Dave was a San Francisco Bay Area educator (teacher, mentor teacher, administrator) and wrote an education column for the local newspaper. He retired lakeside 3 years ago and enjoys reading, writing, hiking, kayaking, acting…and telling great stories. HIs book, Mexican Streets: Tales of Tragedy and Triumph, will be published this month.