David Willard

Concerned citizen, Connector, Event planner, Idea generator, Marketer, Musician, Photographer, Public servant, Sales specialist, Social entrepreneur

David Willard retired from Olympus Corporation of the Americas in September 2010 after a 31-year career with the company. Dave began his career in sales and marketing in the imaging business with Bell and Howell and Vivitar Corporation. After joining Olympus in 1980, Dave held senior executive positions in the imaging business until 1998, spanning the film and digital eras. Dave received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA) in March, 2009 for his contributions to the imaging industry. In 1998, Dave was appointed Director of Internet Business Development for Olympus, responsible for all of the company’s websites, e-business and e-commerce initiatives. From 2003 until 2008, Dave served as Director of Corporate Marketing and Community Services, a period which included the company’s relocation of its headquarters from Long Island, NY to the Lehigh Valley. From 2008 until his retirement in September, 2010, Dave was Director – Employee Communications and Community Services, responsible for all internal communications during the integration of an acquired company (Gyrus ACMI), as well as the company’s community outreach and corporate social responsibility programs. Since his retirement, Dave has dedicated his time to community service with various nonprofits. He is the chair of the ArtsQuest Visual Arts Board and a member of the ArtsQuest Board of Trustees. Dave has been a volunteer at ArtsQuest in various capacities since 2006, including serving on the Strategic Planning and Program Development Committees. Dave also serves on the Boards and Executive Committees of PBS39 and WDIY, the Lehigh Valley’s public media organizations. Dave is a member of the Jazz Committee of the Allentown Symphony Association, the Via Marathon Planning Committee, and the Advisory Board of Digital Wish (www.digitalwish.org), a national nonprofit whose mission is to help close the technology gap in public schools. Dave is also a public servant, elected as a member of the Lower Saucon Township Council for a four-year term from January 2012 through December 2015. The Council is the governing body of a municipality in Eastern Pennsylvania with 11,000 residents. Dave has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and an M.B.A. in Marketing from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. Dave and his wife, Monica, have resided in Bethlehem, PA since 2006. They have three grown children and two grandchildren.

Getting people to work together to produce a positive outcome.

You can organize a TEDx in your local community. It takes a dedicated team of people who want to make it happen. You can get a lot of advice and guidance from the folks at TED. Putting it together is a lot of work, but a TEDx event is fun and something you'll be proud of...and so will your community.

Advertising, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Digital Marketing, General Management, Marketing Management, Nonprofit & Community Development, Public Relations, sales

I became familiar with TED back in its infancy and have watched it grow into a global phenomenon. I was thrilled when I was asked to join the Organizing Committee for the first TEDx Lehigh River held in April 2013. We learned a lot from our first endeavor. Our team is very energized and we have improved our processes based on what we learned last year. Everyone is making a solid contribution. We can't wait for our next TEDx to happen on September 27, 2014!

Golf, because I'm not, but I enjoy playing anyway. I'm good at taking pictures and jazz drumming, but I guess people who know me know that.