David is an established not-for-profit arts management leader, with experience managing performing arts companies with budgets ranging from $1M to over $10M, and a history of consensus building within the national arts community. In 2013, Mr. Abel was awarded the Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding leadership in Canadian theatre.David spent six years as Director and Executive Committee member of the Board of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT). He has acted as consultant, mentor or juror for Young Peoples’ Theatre, Canadian Stage, Native Earth Performing Arts, Dreamwalker Dance, Collective of Black Artists, Business for the Arts, Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Metcalf Foundation and the City of Toronto’s Major Cultural Organizations granting program among others. David was an Inaugural Fellow of the Toronto Arts Council/Banff Centre Cultural Leaders Lab in 2015, and is an Inaugural Mentor for the Cultural Human Resources Council's Talent To Lead leadership development program.