About David Lloyd
Education Alliance Coordinator - ABBA- Austin Bridge Builders Alliance

As an undergrad, David studied psychology, history, and math. His graduate work is in theology, philosophy and American History. From 1994-2010, David lived in Riga, Latvia and helped found 3 educational institutions, and developed a professional qualification program for teaching Christian morals and ethics in that post-Soviet country. In February 2011, David and his wife Elaine were honored by the Latvian government for their contributions to Latvia in the spheres of education, religion, and culture.

Which of your personal traits is most important in making you a good leader?
The ability to trust others and to be trusted by others. People trust those who trust others, and since many leaders struggle with their ability to trust, they in turn are not trusted.
What are the key things you would counsel someone coming into the workforce?
People of influence usually get where they are because they are "over developed" and "over accomplished" in some areas of their life. This usually means that they are underdeveloped in other key areas, and this often limits how long they stay on top, or how happy and satisfied they are with their lives. Ultimately, people with strong relationship skills seem to succeed more in life and in their professions than those with strong professional skills.
What was the "aha" moment that got you started in your current career/line of work?
I studied psychology as an undergraduate, and was preparing to get my PhD. in this field. However, while researching my senior thesis on "Psychotherapeutic friendships", I discovered that what made the most difference in patient outcomes was not a therapeutic method but the personal characteristics of the therapist. Thus I decided not to invest years studying methods, but focused on how to connect healthy people with relationship skills with those who needed unconditional love.
When you were 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a writer of history. While studying history at the University of Maryland under a man who served as MacArthurs' official historian in the Pacific during WWII, I was motivated to make history instead of recording the history made by others. This motivated my move to Moscow in 1990-91, during the last days of communism, and my 17 years of living in Latvia.
What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
I love to get Sonic Rt. 44 cherry limeades during their half-price happy hour sale.
How long have you lived in Austin? What brought you here?
I originally moved to Austin in 1992 and lived here for 18 months before moving overseas. My motivation for the move was my love for my future wife. We returned to Austin in Sept. 2010 because it was the only US home we had ever had together.