Dave was born in Kokomo, Indiana, yet his roots are deeply planted in Ohio soil. Both of Dave’s parents were born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, where his one grandfather was a career grocery store manager, and the other was a decorated, life-long police officer. Both parents were first generation college students, graduating from the University of Toledo. His father is an Air Force veteran and served in the Korean War. Upon being honorably discharged, he became a professional sales representative in the commercial glass business. His mother holds a Masters Degree in Education, and was an elementary school teacher in the Toledo Public School System, prior to becoming a stay at home mom to raise Dave, along with his sister and brother. She returned to work as a full-time substitute teacher, until her retirement. Both of Dave's parents are happily retired and reside in Indianapolis, Indiana.


    After Dave was born, his father’s job took their family to Levittown, New York. A few years later, his father was transferred to Indianapolis, where Dave spent his childhood. Dave attended public schools in Indianapolis from 2nd grade through high school. He graduated from North Central High School in 1980, within a class of over 1100 students. He attended Ball State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and a minor in Political Science, in 1984. While in college, Dave was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and he was involved in numerous student organizations, many of which he served in leadership roles.


    Upon graduating from Ball State University, Dave began his career in sales with Procter & Gamble where he held various management positions. After four years at P&G, Dave transitioned into the medical device industry where he remains employed today. In his 20 years in the industry, he has worked for several innovative start-ups and established companies, a few of which include:

• Johnson & Johnson
• Boston Scientific
• Medtronic

During his twenty years in the healthcare industry, Dave has:

•  Worked closely with hundreds of physicians, surgeons, nurses, technologists, and administrative staff, from all levels, at hospitals throughout the Midwestern U.S.
•  Provided consultative care to patients during their post-procedure recovery relating to the therapeutic devices he represented.
•  A solid understanding of the many issues within the healthcare industry including Medicare/Medicaid, physician malpractice insurance and liability, VA hospitals, preventative medicine, insurance fraud, and the list goes on and on!!!
  

    Dave and his wife, Annette, have been married for thirteen years and are the proud parents of a son, Stephen (11), and two daughters, Karen (10) and Rachel (8). Annette is a native of Highland Heights, Ohio and was educated in the Mayfield City School system. She is a graduate of the University of Akron with a BS degree in Marketing. and a minor in Transportation. Currently a stay at home mom, Annette is active as a school volunteer, and is a Sunday school teacher.

    The Potter family has a strong faith in God and they are evangelical in their sharing the news of Christ’s Grace with others. They are members of First Lutheran Church of Strongsville, where Dave serves as co-chair of the Mission ministry.

    As a father of young children, Dave is very in touch with the challenges of raising a family in the 21st Century. He shares the same concerns that all parents have about keeping children safe in today’s society. He experiences the same challenges that all parents have with regards to providing for his children: food, clothing and shelter, along with saving for college educations.

     I have always admired Dave’s ability to be able to talk about detailed medical procedures with doctors then turn around and explain the same procedure to patients in layman’s terms. Through his detailed conversations, he gives patients the confidence and knowledge they need to make their procedures successful. I see this in his political conversations as well. Nothing is ever sugar coated and his positions on issues are detailed and thorough. He is also assertive and has the ability to ask the right questions, even if the questions are difficult to ask, and to answer even the most difficult questions with honest, straightforward answers. Many times, I have seen him think “outside the box” to work out difficult situations, something that is desperately needed in Washington!!!  

   Dave enjoys coaching and takes time to coach Stephen’s baseball and basketball teams. He tries to bring out the best in every one of his players, not just his son, and teaches teamwork and personal responsibility to all the boys.  At the first practice, Dave always has a meeting with the team and their parents and tells them who he is and what he expects from his players and the parents during the season. All parents are grateful of this upfront attitude that eliminates any confusion and conflict during the season. I believe our 13th District needs someone like Dave, who can take each county and improve it, while also improving District 13 as a whole. We may live in Cuyahoga County, but Dave is dedicated to serving the WHOLE 13th District.