Dave English
This story is part of a series on the members of the Brookfield Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
When Dave English was looking to get out of the military and find a new career, a fellow ex-Marine suggested healthcare sales. At the time, English equated healthcare sales with used car sales, but he went on a sales ride with a friend, anyway.
More than 20 years later, he’s still in healthcare, and it’s been a great ride.
“Because you’re dealing with potential life and death situations, there’s a sense of urgency that’s the same as the tempo in the military,” he said. “It was great fit for me. We’re doing something important.”
English, Class of 1982, is CEO of Sun Pain Management of Phoenix, where he manages three pain management clinics, two surgical centers and two surgical suites.
“I have wonderful healthcare professionals working for me,” English said. “My job is, knock out road blocks so they can thrive and do their job. We take care of about 3,000 patients per month.”
Overseeing permanent employees and contract workers, English said he strives to take care of his staff as well as they take care of their patients, something he learned in the Marine Corps.
“One of the things you might not know about the Marine Corps, when you’re out in the field and you’re eating the MREs, a treat is to actually have hot chow,” he said. “In the field, when there’s hot chow brought out, the privates eat first, and then the corporals, the lance corporals, the sergeants, the staff NCOs and the officers eat last. It really instills that you take care of your people first.”
Taking care of people sometimes means letting them go. He said he tells his employees that it’s OK to go for another job that allows them a chance for advancement.
“That’s a sign that I’m a great leader because I’m helping my people get to where they want to be,” English said. “I’ve gotten more satisfaction out of seeing others grow.”
A graduate of the Naval Academy and a former active duty Marine with combat experience in Panama and Operation Desert Storm, English said his approach to his people is part of a thread that has run through his life.
“The Field was about excellence,” he said, using Brookfield school district’s nickname. “When I went down and visited (the Naval Academy at) Annapolis, I said, ‘That’s excellence again. I want to be a part of that.’ And then, after the academy, I went into the Marine Corps, that was excellence. I want to be part of something that’s bigger than me. Bigger than me means serving other people.”
Serving other people gets you out of your head when things aren’t going great, he said.
“Stop worrying about yourself and worry about helping someone else,” English said.
Yet, if you can’t figure out a problem, don’t be ashamed to ask for help.
“When I was 11 years old, I was bullied for almost a year,” English said. “I was afraid to get on the bus. I was afraid to go out. My mom was like, ‘What’s up with you? What’s going on?’ I was afraid to say anything. The moment that I told someone, it was taken care of immediately. Ask for help. Just go for it. Don’t be afraid.”
The “don’t be afraid” advice also applies when a new opportunity presents itself, even one you’re not sure you’re ready for.
“The only things that I have ever regretted are the things I didn’t try,” English said. “Just go for it. The world’s wide open for you.”
