0 Alumnus David Causer standing with Houghton University president Dr. Wayne Lewis.

David Causer Receives the Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award

October 21, 2024

By Mark Shepard, Regional Director of Development

It is a joy and blessing to serve Houghton University as a Regional Director of Development. One of the joys of my job is meeting remarkable alumni living out their God-giving calling as scholar-servants – alumni like David Causer.

What would the world look like if more of our corporate leaders had been steeped in hands-on learning that emphasized principles and ethics? David Causer, a graduate of the Houghton Class of 1974, has a tiny glimpse of that kind of world every day. As President of Global Educational Concepts and Southwestern Advantage, Dave has daily opportunities to create a learning and working environment for aspiring entrepreneurs from around the world that allows them to grow and flourish while enforcing ethical and principled business and sales practices. Over the years, thousands of college students from fifty-seven different countries have worked for Southwestern Advantage, taking the opportunity to gain work experience, receiving sales training and earn money to support their education.

But Dave didn’t start at the top of the ladder. Very few of us do. Dave grew up in rural, impoverished Bradford, Pennsylvania before coming to Houghton in 1970 seeking to follow God’s calling on his life. Dave was a student-athlete, participating in both basketball and golf. He seemed to enjoy taking on financial responsibilities for student organizations serving as treasurer for the sophomore class and the Young Administrator’s Organization. He even took a stint as a sports reporter for the Houghton STAR. As a business administration major with a minor in physical education, Dave took advantage of every opportunity to grow in his areas of interest.

One of those opportunities came in his freshman year when he was recruited to work as a salesman for Southwestern Advantage. Southwestern advantage has been training and employing college students since the mid-nineteenth century, and Dave joined a long list of successful leaders when he signed up to go door-to-door selling educational books to families. Dave was a notable success, recruiting, training and magazine a 1,000-person sales organization of university students and achieving the status of youngest director in the history of Southwestern Advantage.

Classmate and golf team member, Peter Luckey, remarked, “One of my strongest memories of Dave is of his first summer selling for Southwest. I believe he was the highest 1st year sales person for Southwest profiting more than $10,000 dollars in one summer in the early ’70s. What I remember most was one of his sales techniques. Dave explained that when he was closing the sale he would pull out his pen and pretend to be communicating with his supervisor to confirm he could offer the best deal possible. Of course, this was before the age of cell phones and it was like something out of a futuristic movie! Dave was always one of those guys that made life fun and he would help out anyone.”

Each summer during college, Dave returned to Southwestern Advantage, travelling in his assigned territories selling books to families. After college, he started full-time with the company and has never left. Dave’s commitment to Southwestern Advantage is about far more than selling books. His commitment is grounded in the belief that Southwestern’s Sales School can be a life changer and a career-shaper for college students. For the last twenty-five years, Dave has been heavily involved in the United States Department of State’s public diplomacy BridgeUSA program, which has allowed international students from nearly 60 countries to travel to the US where they work for the summer, train in the Sales School and go home with a better understanding of ethical business practices and American culture.

Dave’s wife Cindy, shared a telling anecdote about her husband. “When Dave was about 10 years old, he remembers that a speaker came to his church and gave a talk about being a Christian businessman. It was so impactful that David decided then that he wanted to be a Christian businessman. At the time he did not know how that would be possible, but God honored that desire in David and caused the right people to be in his life at various times to make that dream come true. His focus is always to teach and encourage consistency, integrity, persistence, and perseverance.”

Dave lives in Nashville with his wife Cindy, where they raised their two children. They’re active members of their church and have supported a local private Christian school. Dave is also a strong supporter of Save Haven ministry in Nashville, which serves people and families experiencing homelessness, and of international ministries including an orphanage in South Africa.

Dave has remained a committed Houghton alumnus. Multi-year members of the 1883 Society, Dave and Cindy have also enjoyed hosting alumni events at his home in Nashville, Tennessee. Dave remains interested in connecting with Houghton students through BEST Talks, employment opportunities and sponsoring Houghton’s LEAD program.

Dave’s passion for high quality business training, his dedication to his career, his tireless work to advance the mission of Southwestern Advantage and his support of Houghton University combine to make a remarkable Houghton alumnus. For these reasons, and so many more, it is a privilege to present David Causer with Houghton University’s 2024 Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award.

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