David Nicholson, BSc, LLD, CFA is a philanthropist and wealth manager with a demonstrated history of successful accomplishments in financial services and education. Former hedge fund pioneer skilled in Asset Management, Quantitative Model Building, Equities, Investment Strategies and Education Initiatives. Strong entrepreneurship professional with an Electrical Engineering degree Cum Laude from Queen’s University, Canada and an L.L.D. Honorary Doctorate recognizing his contributions to Entrepreneurship, Education and Small Business Operations from Northwood University-Florida. After a distinguished career with IBM and Weyerhaeuser in the field of computerized production optimization, Dr. Nicholson applied his mathematical and engineering skills to the global financial markets with New York based MacKay-Shields Financial Corporation; ending up 12 years later as Chairman of the Investment Strategy Committee and the firm’s largest institutional portfolio manager for clients such as New York City, Boeing and Harvard University along with wealthy families such as the ex-Lord Mayor of London, England. He left MacKay-Shields to set up his own firm, York Management & Research, Inc. in 1978. York continues today as a single family office having relocated to Jupiter, Florida in 1990 from the World Trade Center, NYC. Initially, York provided investment portfolio advisory services to several institutions such as Harvard and eventually became a general partner to the 3 hedge funds formed by Dr. Nicholson, TARGAT Associates, ALPHA MAX, LP and GLOBAL MAX, LP. After 20 years of successful performance, Dr. Nicholson closed these hedge funds in May,2000 to revert to his original family office concept and provide more time to focus on his family and philanthropy through the Stiles-Nicholson Foundation which he formed in 1992 to honor the military sacrifices of his father, William Stiles, a fallen soldier, and step-father William Nicholson, a German POW survivor. The primary missions of the Foundation are to support major local and national education initiatives which educate citizens about the benefits and advantages of entrepreneurship, the free enterprise system, financial literacy, education reform and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math). In the mid-nineties, Dr. Nicholson was honored to be awarded the highest national volunteer recognition offered by Junior Achievement USA when they awarded him the Bronze, Silver and Gold National Leadership awards. He is still active and a former Director of both Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches and the Tax Foundation, (a Washington tax policy think tank). In addition to being a trustee and the Treasurer, he chaired the Investment Committee for the Jupiter Medical Center Foundation for ten years, and presently, his volunteer activities include Chair of the Stiles-Nicholson Foundation, Director and Chairman’s Council member of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, Vice-Chair of the South Florida Science Center & Aquarium, a member of the Physics and Astronomy Advisory Council of Johns Hopkins University, the Palm Beach County School District Financial Literacy Council and STEM Advisory Council. Dr. Nicholson was born in York England, raised in Ottawa, Canada and has been a permanent resident of United States since 1966. He and his wife Lynn, a former school teacher, have five daughters and eleven grandchildren located in United States and Canada.