David Jacobson is a professional speaker on leadership, team building, humor and health and overcoming trauma. He is the former Chief of Social Work of the Phoenix VA where he assisted in improving their mental health system. He also is the former Social Work Manager at University Medical Center who worked with the patients and families of trauma's including the tragic shooting event in Tucson that happened at his hospital January 8th, 2011 which resulted in a personal thank you from the President for his work with the shooting victims and their families. For over 30 years David, has provided his expertise on leadership, humor and health related topics to audiences around the country and served on the Board of Directors of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. He has been featured internationally by various media outlets, including magazines, journals and television from London to Seoul, Korea. He is the award winning author of "The 7 ½ Habits of Highly Humorous People."
David Jacobson suffered many losses early in his life including a diagnosis with a severe form of arthritis at 22 in 1980. Since then, he has become a living example that you can accomplish anything if you truly believe in yourself. Through his years of struggling with chronic pain, he developed humor techniques that got him through the hard times. He now teaches these skills to audiences around the country in his keynotes and workshops which as entertaining as they are educational.
His many honors include a "President's Award" from Flashnet Marketing, Inc. , A Lifetime Achievement Award and a "National Hero Overcoming Arthritis" award by the Arthritis Foundation National Office for completing a 50 mile unicycle ride at a fund raising event and the Wayne Washburn Memorial Award which reads as follows "We all need someone or something to inspire us to bring out our best. You are that someone"
For the past fifteen years, Mr. Jacobson has worked as a hospital administrator in addition to his writing, speaking and consulting career. He is currently the Director of Behavioral Health Case Management at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson.
