Iredell-Statesville Schools School & Family Magazine February/March 2016 | Page 16

Board of Education: Spotlight on Dr. David Cash
What schools did
you attend?
Monticello
Elementary, South
Iredell High School,
Pfeiffer College (now
University), A.B. in
chemistry, University
of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill Medical
School, Family Practice Residency at Roanoke
Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia
Can you share one quote or saying that you
love, that keeps you going in life?
One quote that means a lot to me
is by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “All history is
biography.” To me, this statement speaks to the
interconnectedness of all people to each other.
No one lives in a vacuum. This reflects my life’s
philosophy that all happiness is generated from
the relationships that we establish with each
other. Our ultimate happiness comes from what
we contribute to each other.
Who was your role model that you looked
up to as a kid?
My role models have been my parents.
I have always admired their strong work ethic,
selflessness, patience, and compassion.
What is your favorite city that you have ever
visited and why?
My favorite city that I have visited is
Beruit, Lebanon, in July 2001. The Lebanese
people were unbelievably welcoming and
respectful toward us. Despite the trauma of
past conflicts and natural disasters, they are
very multicultural and most were bilingual, if not
trilingual.
Give us a brief bio of your career.
My career actually began in the ninth
grade during a brief conversation with my
homeroom teacher who asked me if I had
thought about what I wanted to be when I grew
up. At that time I was strongly contemplating
14 Iredell-Statesville School & Family

being a doctor, a teacher, or a minister. After
thinking for a moment, my teacher simply
said, “Why don’t you go to medical school
and become all three?” Suddenly that simple
statement provided the foundation for the
rest of my high school and college career. His
statement made perfect sense to me and after
I began practice, I continued to approach my
training with that thought in mind.
When I finished my family practice
residency 31 years ago, I was fortunate to
obtain a position in my hometown of Statesville,
NC, working with the doctor who had delivered
me. He retired after ten years, and since
that time I have expanded my practice to
include some mid-level providers. Each year
I also mentor students going through nurse
practitioner and physician assistant programs
and receive a lot of personal satisfaction
working with top notch young people. Through
working with the students and counseling my
patients, I have been able to incorporate my
passion for both teaching and the ministry. In
addition to teaching these students, I have also
enjoyed other leadership opportunities within
our greater Iredell Memorial Hospital system by
serving as their Medical Director of Employee
Health and Medical Director of Community
and Corporate Wellness. I feel very fortunate
to have had the opportunity to fulfill my goals,
and I plan to follow this passion as long as my
health will allow.
What makes you so passionate about
Iredell-Statesville County Schools?
As a native of Iredell County, I am
a product of the local school system. After
completing my formal education and returning
to my hometown, my two children soon came of
age to begin their school career. As an involved,
interested parent, I was active in the local PTOs
and then later our superintendent established
a group of parents representing each school
to be an advisory group to the school district
administrators. After being elected president of
that group, I became more intimately involved
with the central office staff and learned more