David has spent his entire professional life doing what he loves at Porterfield’s. A Topekan by birth and choice, he attended Topeka public schools and graduated from Washburn University with a BA in English. He has been an active citizen, including stints as president of the Mulvane Art Museum and the historic Jayhawk Theatre and served on the boards for the Mt. Hope Cemetery and the Topeka Friends of the Zoo among his countless civic activities. For many years, he served as a charter member of the Kansas Public Radio Advisory Board and more recently,  he was recognized for his over 30 years of service to CASA, an organization which advocates for children.  He is also a long-time active member of Grace Episcopal Cathedral.

Professionally, he has served as president of the Kansas State Florists Association and has twice been on the national Board of Directors of the American Institute of Floral Designers. He was a selected designer for President Reagan’s second inaugural, the bicentennial celebration for the Statue of Liberty and the dedication of the horticulture wing of the Smithsonian Institution. He has been invited to lecture at the New York Botanical Gardens, the San Francisco Garden Club, the American Institute of Floral Designers National Symposium and many other venues.   Porterfield’s has been selected as Topeka’s best for many years by readers of our local newspaper, but he is most proud of the shop’s recognition in 2014 as the best florist in the United States by the Wholesale Florists and Florists Suppliers of America and Florists’ Review Magazine.