What you will quickly learn about me is that I am extremely passionate about everything I do. I am interested in moving the needle… every minute of every day. My 25 years of leadership within the structures of diverse public educational institutions has provided unique lenses into historic limitations and hurdles of teaching and learning. I have always firmly believed that if one is given extraordinary talents and gifts, it is their responsibility to share their knowledge with anyone who has an interest in their work. So, in a sense, this is the very core of my work and you will find that I am not only an innovator, researcher, designer, and creator, I am also a writer, consultant, advisor, and speaker.
“The two days spent with David gave me a new vision of storage - what I learned not only uncluttered a learning space but it also uncluttered my mind of previous misconceptions of what a space should look like.”
- Brian Gregoire,
Director of Andover CAPS
“What sets David apart is that he is wholly invested in the betterment of education. He understands how to engage and challenge teams to focus on the mission of our educational system.”
- Michele Curreri, U.S. EPA,
Indoor Environments Division
“My impression of David began many years ago when David and I met at a School District in GA and he told me about how my product had performed for him. Attributes that my company and I had not yet developed and marketed. Yes, he was more informed about my material than I was! That started a great relationship over years where I continue to be impressed with his creative, big picture problem solving initiatives. From flooring to furniture design to storage solutions; David gets it! He is totally immersed in his work and knows the education space as well as anyone I have ever met; I say better. David is a true one of a kind!”
John C. Sumlin, Tarkett NA, VP of Education Segment Sales
“Great design delivers continuity, function and beauty to an environment. The two days spent with David gave me a new vision of storage - what I learned not only uncluttered a learning space but it also uncluttered my mind of previous misconceptions of what a space should look like.”
Brian Gregoire, Director of Andover CAPS
“David is a resource for resources, all and any, that relate to so much more than just education.”
- Brian Gregoire, Director of Andover CAPS
"One of David's strengths is his extraordinary vision for 21st Century learning environments and his commitment to understanding community needs, wants and values...a masterful practitioner who continually seeks excellence and a leader that lives in service"
- Michele Curreri, U.S. EPA, Indoor Environments Division
"What sets David apart is that he is wholly invested in the betterment of education. He understands how to engage and challenge teams to focus on the mission of our educational system."
- Peter Degas, TSAV, COO & Principal
“David is the most empathetic designer I've ever met. He intuitively understands how to design the kind of furniture which fits the requirements of its users. It has been an honor for me to collaborate with David over the years.”
- Dr. Dieter Breithecker, Director Federal Institute on the Development of Posture and Exercise, Wiesbaden, Germany
“I have met many designers over the years, but few stand-out like David Stubbs who applies extreme passion and his in-classroom work experience to creating products that improve learning and health for pupils coupled with space management for educators.”
- Mark Goodman, Publisher, Learning by Design Magazine
“Five years ago, we began working with David to bring a more collaborative learning environment to our school. What David brought was far more than simply and understanding of a school’s physical assets. He has guided our staff in creating classrooms designed for students. His research into the effective use of space and the influence of proximity on student engagement has changed the way we teach from a methodology focused solely on curriculum to one centered on the learning taking place within the classroom.”
- Andrew Heughins, PHD, Principal, Ethan Allen Elementary School, Garden Grove, CA
“The training and expertise David brings goes beyond the simple transformation of the school and classroom environment to the creation of an organizational culture of collaboration and innovation that would bring a smile to the faces of executives at such revolutionary companies as Google and Microsoft.”
- Andrew Heughins, PHD, Principal, Ethan Allen Elementary School, Garden Grove, CA
“Education has always had a need for people with big ideas and that is even more true today. David Stubbs is an educator with the ideas that can contribute to shaping and improving education. It is always my pleasure to talk with David, or to see him present his ideas, as they are always provocative, challenging but always grounded by what is good for students.”
- David Jakes, David Jakes Designs, Founder, CDO & Manager
“David’s contributions as a thought leader in education are widely recognized as are his furniture designs that have literally changed the way educators think about the relationship between classroom spaces and learning. Most importantly, David approaches his craft with empathy, knowledge and the passion that makes him a valued contributor to any partnership that seeks to make schools a better place for learning and for kids.”
- David Jakes, David Jakes Designs, Founder, CDO & Manager
“Based on his background as an architect and long-time school district manager, David A. Stubbs II has extensive experience with today’s learning and teaching needs. Through this perspective he created a new concept of modern learning for the future, to overcome the most stressful and common classroom limitations.”
- Dr. Thomas Müller, Ret. Managing Director, VS Vereinigte Spezialmöbelfabriken, Germany
“For me, the outstanding accomplishment of David’s Shift+ program is the amount of improvement he achieved with his furniture system. David not only met the wishes of teachers, but he far exceeded their expectations: The Shift+ program turned out to be very successful, because it allows a huge variety of learning arrangements and teaching styles, which is unmatched by any other furniture system.”
- Dr. Thomas Müller, Ret. Managing Director, VS Vereinigte Spezialmöbelfabriken, Germany
"As a faculty member at a small liberal arts school, I had never met nor worked with a classroom and furniture designer before meeting David several years ago. What became rapidly apparent in our time together is simply this: deep down David and I are both educators who care very much about creating the best possible learning environment for students. Dialogue was always two ways with David; I learned from him and he learned from me. In the end, it wasn’t just about great design for David (although that was important!), it was also about supporting teachers, helping them realize the many interactive possibilities in any classroom."
- Matthew Rearick, Department Chair, Health and Human Performance, Exercise Science, Roanoke College, Salem, Virginia
“I have had the pleasure of hearing David present several times over the past 4 years. I believe it’s been about 8 different times, some at conferences and some with small groups or individual prospective clients of mine. We have also done a couple of small round table discussion groups with David and a select group of our local architect & design partners. Every time, his presentation is thought provoking, fresh, energetic and fun. We have had several clients ask to have him return, and several have seen him multiple times.”
- Ken Sigmon, Educations Solutions Specialist, Sheppard's Business Interiors, Omaha, NE
“David is an innovator. Like many innovators, his secret sauce seems to be unearthing a need that others overlook. He combines this innovator’s mindset with an architect’s design eye to create unique and beautiful solutions.”
- Steven Turckes, FAIA, ALEP, LEED AP PreK-12 Global Practice Leader, Principal, Perkins&Will, Chicago
