A native of Waterbury, Connecticut, Dave received a B.A. from Boston College (Summa Cum Laude), was named Scholar of the College and awarded the Order of the Cross and Crown. At Harvard University he received an M.Ed. with a concentration in Administration, Planning and Social Policy.

From 1984 until 2004, Dave served as President and Executive Director of COMPASS, a community-based nonprofit organization in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. COMPASS provides special eduation and enrichment services to high-risk, inner-city children. Before joining COMPASS, Dave worked for many years with homeless people in Boston. He is a past chairman of the Board of Directors of the Pine Street Inn and currently serves on the Board.

Since 1980, Dave has taught at Boston College. His courses have included "Values in Social Services" and "Health Care in Boston: An Urban Analysis." A Trustee of Roxbury Latin School and a member of the Board of Directors of MAAPS, Dave is also on the Board of the Children's League of Massachusetts. Dave and his wife, Noreen, live in Boston's South End.

In July 2004, Dave became only the sixth President of Cotting School, which was founded in 1893.

Parents and Families, Read a message from David W. Manzo

New Cotting Staff Members, Read a message from David W. Manzo

In Dr. Thorndike's Words

 
In reviewing the school's annual reports dating to 1893, I came upon Dr. Thorndike's report to the trustees which appeared in the 1940 Annual Report of the Industrial School for Crippled and Deformed Children, now called Cotting School. This was Dr. Thorndike's final report after 47 years of service to the school. It was written shortly before his death. Although Dr. Thorndike's language is dated, he clearly captures the spirit of the school - at its founding in 1893, at the time of his report in 1940, and today. Dr. Thorndike is very self-effacing. He deflects nearly all the credit concerning the school founding to Dr. Bradford. From a careful review of the school's documents, it is clear that both men were giants in the founding and ongoing development of the school. We are all indebted to these two men's vision and wisdom.

Read Full Message Here

A Message to Parents and Families

Cotting is a place of contradictions and surprises. Here, sometimes things are not always as they appear to be. When people come to visit the school for the first time, they often expect to see kids who are sad and staff who are tired. They find the opposite is true. Our students are happy and our staff is energized and creative.

The world often measures success the wrong way: where you live, how many things you own, how much money you make, or how much your car costs. This is the wrong way to measure success. To assess the true measure of success you need to answer the following question: Did YOU do your BEST with the gifts that YOU were given?

Each of our students has special talents and our job is to bring those talents forward.

 A Welcome to New Cotting Staff Members

Together we are becoming Cotting School. Cotting School is a story of evolution. Since its founding it has grown each year. The children have changed. For example, we no longer serve students with Potts Disease or polio and the founders of the school could never have imagined that many of the children who thrive here would even have survived birth.

Cotting School is the story of adaptation and teamwork.

It is the story of remembering and building upon our rich history and our successful work with children. But it is also about becoming something MORE each year. As we move forward together, we need to be on guard so that Cotting School never becomes a static place trapped in time.

Our mission this year is to continue to work as a team in all that we do. This year we will not only have a passion for working with our students, but we will also have a passion for working as a team.

Read Full Message Here