Writer, Composer, and Marketing Director

At a young age, David Messick saw a touring professional theater production.  He was fascinated with what it took to produce a program and satisfy and audience.  Since that time, he was worked producing professional programs and events while helping others learn about their audiences and satisfy their needs along the way.

For Rainbow Productions, Inc., David has served as founder and programming director.  He has produced and presented dozens of original and innovative educational programs for the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, New York's American Museum of Natural History, the National Theatre in Washington DC, Wolftrap - the National Park for the Arts, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the Virginia Aquarium, and Colonial Williamsburg.

David served as the  Director of Audience Development for the Daily Press Media Group.  In that role, he maintained strong print circulation revenue year after year in a challenging media environment. At the same time, he managed the transition of print readers to digital products. His marketing campaigns on this front have become the model used at many other publishers.  

On the consumer marketing and video producer side, David’s award winning television commercials have been recognized nationally and internationally. As a speaker, he has presented his program, “Know Your Audience” for a diverse group of universities and organizations including the Newspaper Association of America. 

Prior to his print and online experiences with Daily Press, David was a market researcher managing projects for Audience Studies, Inc. In that capacity, he supervised development projects for producers and advertisers like Paramount Pictures, the Disney Channel, Campbell’s Soup, and S. C. Johnson. He was involved in the pilot testing of “The Simpsons” and series maintenance work for“The Oprah Winfrey Show.”  He employs his market research /analyst skills in practically all the work he does.

David directed the Daily Press/Ferguson Holiday Fund which has provided millions of dollars to local families in need. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army of the Greater Peninsula and is on the marketing team for Hampton Roads Ecumenical Lodgings and Provisions, which shelters homeless in our community. He and his wife have two sons who are active in soccer. They reside in Hampton, Virginia.