David Quinn (actor)

David Quinn is an American actor, entrepreneur and teacher, currently serving as IB Coordinator in the The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme [1] at a high school in the Seattle area. In 2014, he founded The High School Counselor Challenge,[2] a national social-media campaign with the goal of getting more public-school counselors from underserved communities to one of the admission profession’s premier gatherings: The annual NACAC conference.

Quinn began acting at the age of four, starting out as a regular on the enduring children's program Sesame Street. Between 1986–1988, he was the host of 3-2-1 Contact,[3] the educational science series produced for The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). In 1988, he hosted the TV series "I Have AIDS, A Teenager's Story" with noted AIDS advocate, Ryan White. The program won the Peabody Award.[4] As a teen, Quinn went to noted performing arts training center Stagedoor Manor in New York for many summers, and roomed with friend Jon Cryer.[5] In 1985, Quinn performed in the original Live Aid concert in Philadelphia, singing in the show's finale with the group "Children to Children".[3] During his television career, Quinn appeared in numerous commercials and television programs before embarking on simultaneous careers in business and education. In 2010, Quinn returned to filmmaking, serving as Associate Producer of Order of Chaos, starring Milo Ventimiglia.[3]

In 1993, Quinn left acting for the field of secondary education. He earned a B.A. (English/Anthropology-Archaeology) and an M.Ed. from the University of Washington.[6] While at the University of Washington, Quinn co-founded Allrecipes.com and became a founding partner of the Pinpoint Venture Group, which invests in startup companies in the Pacific Northwest. In April 2006, Quinn sold Allrecipes to Readers Digest. Quinn also founded ZC Entertainment in Los Angeles, which creates celebrity-based charity events for major corporations.[7] In August 2007, Quinn sold ZC Entertainment to SportsQuest, Inc.[8]

In 2003, he was a recipient of the Puget Sound Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Award, honoring young leaders in Seattle's business and philanthropic community.[9] Quinn is a 2009 Recipient of the US Presidential Scholars Program’s Teacher Recognition Award.[10] In 2013, Quinn was honored by Northwestern University as one of the Distinguished Secondary Teachers in America.[11] In 2013, he was selected as a Claes Nobel Educator of the Year and named one of the top ten educators in America.[12]

Currently, Quinn is on the Board of Trustees of The 5th Avenue Theatre,[13] an Artistic Advisor for The American Playwriting Foundation,[14] and on the Advisory Board of the International Human Rights group Olympic Dream for Darfur.[15] He was a board member of the Seattle Repertory Theatre[16] from 2001 to 2013.

References

  1. ↑ Quinn found himself in the classroom
  2. ↑ Chronicle of Higher Education article
  3. 1 2 3 David Quinn at the Internet Movie Database
  4. ↑ IMDB entry for Peabody Awards 1989
  5. ↑ New Yorker article on Theatre Geek
  6. ↑ University of Washington Newsletter
  7. ↑ Pinpoint Ventures Bio for David Quinn
  8. ↑ ZC Entertainment Acquired by SportsQuest, Inc
  9. ↑ List of winners of 40 under 40 Award
  10. ↑ Presidential Scholars Program - Teacher Recognition
  11. ↑ Five high school teachers are the recipients of the Northwestern University Distinguished Secondary Teacher Awards
  12. ↑ Edmonds Teacher Named Top 10 Educator of the Year
  13. ↑ 5th Avenue Theatre Board of Directors
  14. ↑ American Playwriting Foundation
  15. ↑ Dream for Darfur Advisory Board
  16. ↑ Seattle Repertory Theatre Board of Directors
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, February 15, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.