Remembering David L. Goetsch
On May 2, 2024, Dr. David Goetsch was called home to Christ. Dr. David Goetsch was a Christian Counselor, Life Coach, and church deacon whose counseling, books, articles, and blog seek to help people apply Scripture in overcoming the challenges and struggles they face at home, in school, at work, and in the community. Dr. Goetsch was also Emeritus Vice-President and Professor at Northwest Florida State College where he has served for forty-three years. He is one of the most widely-published college professors in the United States. His books are used in colleges, universities, corporate training settings, and counseling sessions throughout the world.
He is the author of 73 books on quality, leadership, management, supervision, and economic development. He was a consultant and trainer for numerous organizations ranging from small businesses to large corporations and is a widely recognized public speaker on quality, leadership, management, and economic development-related topics. In 2019, he released his first Christian based book, “Christians on the Job: Winning at Work without Compromising Your Faith.”
Dr. Goetsch was a Presidential Member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, a member of the American Society for Quality and a member of the American Management Association. He was co-founder and two time past-Chairman of the EDC of Okaloosa County, former board member of the Walton Economic Development Council, past president of the FWB Chamber of Commerce, past president and life board member of the Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce, former board member of the Crestview Chamber of Commerce and Foundation board member of the Walton Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Goetsch has been Northwest Florida’s “Economic Development Volunteer of the Year” three times (1992, 1996 & 2007). Dr. Goetsch was America’s Outstanding Technical Educator of the Year in 1984, Florida’s Outstanding Technical Educator of the Year in 1986, Instructor of the Year at the University of West Florida’s FWB Campus in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985, and Instructor of the Year at Okaloosa-Walton College in 1976. In 2003, Dr. Goetsch was selected as a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of West Florida and in 2007 was one of the University’s top 40 alumni during its 40 years in existence. In 2016, he was inducted into the Florida Veteran’s Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was inducted into his community’s Civic Leaders Hall of Fame.
Dr. Goetsch holds an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree in technical education, master’s degree in educational leadership, master’s degree in management, master’s degree in counseling/psychology, master’s degree in international relations/political science and a doctorate degree in organizational leadership.
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He leaves behind his precious wife, Deby, his daughter Savannah (Ethan) King, his favorite grandchildren Matthew and Henry King.