
Meet a Colleague: Dave Mabe Dave Mabe serves as senior associate dean of admissions.
Q. How long have you worked at W&L?
I have been working at W&L for about a year and a half.
Q. What do you like most about working at W&L?
Gosh, there’s a lot to like. I like our team working in Admissions, Financial Aid and the Johnson Scholarship. We’re really different people but we enjoy each other. And, we feel the W&L mission deeply. There’s a lot of laughter in Gilliam House.
Q. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a small town outside Greensboro, North Carolina.
Q. What is the most adventurous thing that you have ever done?
I’m an only child, so the answer is definitely having three kids. Our house is loud and active, and I have no idea what’s about to happen!
Q. What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?
I love running around Lexington and on the Chessie Trail.
Q. If you could live anywhere, where would you build your dream home?
I think it would be Asheville, North Carolina? For sure, somewhere in the mountains of Virginia or North Carolina. I love a crisp morning and mountain fall.
Q. Who most inspires you?
Lots of people inspire me — my co-workers, friends, leaders who show steadiness and bravery in turbulent times. Lately, I’ve been inspired by my three-year-old daughter, Ellen. She has never met a stranger, and she’ll walk up to new people with a bright smile and a happy greeting. With no help from us, Ellen routinely makes friends with people walking by our house. She finds so much joy in connecting with people, it’s incredible to watch.
Q. What book are you reading now?
My mom and I pick a few books a year to read together and talk about. We just finished “James” by Percival Everett and it was excellent. I’m halfway through “The Demon of Unrest” by Erik Lawson, a book about secession and the beginnings of the Civil War.
Q. What music are you listening to these days?
For running purposes, I’ll listen to anything around 170 beats-per-minute. Think “Paper Planes” by M.I.A. or “Ocean Avenue” by Yellowcard. My Spotify Wrapped is a mess.
Q. What is the website you visit most often and why?
My Chrome history says it’s ChatGPT. I find myself using it more and more to bounce around ideas, learn basic facts about history or space, and keep track of tasks.
Q. If they made a movie about your life, who would play you?
Daniel Day Lewis, but that’s really more about his acting range.
Q. If you could have coffee with one person, who would it be and why?
I went to Davidson College and I’m a basketball fan so I’ve seen the Wildcats play in person hundreds of times. Even through the Steph Curry era and the 2008 Elite Eight run, I found myself thinking a lot about Mike Maloy. Mike was one of the all-time great Davidson players, instrumental in their success in the late 1960s under Lefty Dreisell. He was also one of the first black students to enroll at the college. Mike has passed away, but I’d like to talk with him about his challenging time at Davidson, his experience as a black student and athlete in the South in the 60s, and his life in Austria after school.
Q. What is your desert island food?
Cheesecake, though I don’t think it would keep.
Q. Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
I like playing games with friends. Unmatched and Captain Sonar are some favorites. I haven’t gotten to play in years because it takes so long, but Diplomacy may be the greatest game ever designed. It’s like Risk, but without dice. Legend has it that Kennedy and Kissinger both loved the game. Back before the pandemic, I ran a summer camp for middle school boys that used Diplomacy to teach leadership and compromise. It was really fun.
Q. What is your secret talent?
I can make trumpet and trombone sounds with my mouth.
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