Dr. David E. Gray, the Academy's first President, currently heads David Gray and Associates, Management Consultants. Before becoming Vice-President (Adm.) at Cal. State-Long Beach, he was Chair of Recreation and Associate Dean, Applied Arts and Sciences, and served as Visiting Professor at a number of U.S. universities. He is a former Recreation Director, City of Los Angeles. His primary research interests, the nature and meaning of recreation experience, and organizational behavior, are reflected in co-authored or edited texts such as Motivation and Modern Management and Reflections on the Park and Recreation Movement, along with numerous articles. He has Chaired Long Beach's Recreation Commission and NRPA/AALR's Council on Accreditation. He has received NRPA's National Literary Award and National Professional Award, SPRE's Distinguished Service Award, and California Park and Recreation Society's Fellow and Life Member Awards.