Bios     >Host-Maggie Lawrence     >Contributor-Kerry Smith     >Contributor-Dave Williams       >Contributor-J. Raymond Kessler, Jr.      >Contributor-Joe Kemble       >Contributor-Charles C. Mitchell J. David (Dave) Williams       Dave Williams grew up in the family florist business in Tallahassee, Florida. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture from Auburn University and he received the Ph.D. in horticulture from the Ohio State University.       A faculty member since 1984, Dave is currently the head of the AU Department of Horticulture. Before taking on these administrative duties, Dave split his time between teaching and advising undergraduate and graduate students in the department and serving as a horticulture specialist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System with statewide responsibilities in landscape horticulture.        His efforts in outreach education have included national interactive satellite telecasts Residential Landscape Design, Backyard Composting, and Lunchtime in the Garden. And he also has taught the landscape design portion of Master Gardener classes throughout Alabama.        “My favorite part of gardening is not so much about the plants as it is about the people who grow them,” says Dave. “I enjoy visiting gardens and puttering around in my own garden, but the theme that I see repeated is that gardens are for and about people. A person’s garden tells a story about them. And they tell stories about their garden. Gardening gives common ground between people. It can be a great ice breaker.”