A Conversation With David Saalfield

American art historian, collector, philanthropist, educator and administrator born in 1938 in Cleveland Ohio; daughter of George Gund; married Albrecht Saalfield in 1966 (divorced); later remarried Daniel Shapiro in 1987; had children David Saalfield, Catherine Saalfield and Anna Saalfield.

David Saalfield has maintained her passion for music despite her health challenges, becoming a global icon through Hiatus Kaiyote as its frontwoman and creating music that speaks directly to people outside her own experience.

Early Life and Education

Dave was raised in Massillon, Ohio. He attended Western Reserve Academy and Lawrenceville School in New Jersey before graduating from Yale. Following this he went to Cleveland-Marshall College of Law where he obtained his J.D. Additionally he served in Standard Oil of Ohio’s Economics, Sales/Manufacturing, and Development groups for 13 years before moving on.

On March 23, 2021 in Scottsdale, Arizona he passed away and is survived by Betty Orr Albrecht; daughters Katherine, Beth, Cindy and Sandy with their respective spouses; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. David was a dedicated family man and loved entertaining foreign visitors in his home; in retirement he enjoyed tennis, outdoor adventures and golf – becoming a trustee of Harvard Conservation Trust as well as membership at Harvard Business School.

Professional Career

David is known for his extensive and successful legal career. With an impressive client list and the gift of helping others navigate it all with ease, David excels at helping people understand the law. From defending businesses against frivolous claims to negotiating employee benefit packages and more – David takes great care when handling any legal matter for his clients and strives to one day become partner at Oregon’s premier law firm – which would enable him to become partner at SEDCOR and Legacy Silverton Health Boards of Directors as well as serving in his community roles with SEDCOR and Legacy Silverton Health board membership roles – David continues his impressive legal career with success as an attorney with expertise gained through decades of practice and commitment he brings when representing businesses or people before courts of law as an experienced litigator with skill and dedication serving on boards like SEDCOR and Legacy Silverton Health board members respectively.

Achievement and Honors

Saalfield graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio, and since has served on many company boards and won various awards for his accomplishments.

On March 11, 2006, three individuals received the Gold Good Citizenship Medal from the Society of Cincinnati. This award recognizes individuals who have shown exceptional dedication in serving their nation or community.

He is also a highly successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist; Fleet Venture Partners is one of the leading technology investment firms in the Northeast. Additionally, his contributions to naval science (particularly underwater electronics) were recognized by the Office of Naval Research; they awarded him their highest honor, the Fred E. Saalfield award for outstanding lifetime achievements in science – a highly selective award process.

Personal Life

Hiatus Kaiyote singer-guitarist/pianist Hiatus Kaiyote has always been an advocate for breast cancer survivors who have undergone treatment, particularly reconstructive breast surgery procedures that might tempt them with beauty standards that push women toward superficial solutions without carefully considering all available choices.

Saalfield found herself near death following her mastectomy, so she turned to music as a form of therapy to cope with her illness. She began recording covers of Curtis Mayfield songs online as well as writing her own original pieces and posting them.

As her health improved, she started working with animals – particularly birds – in her studio and learning Kintsugi (a Japanese art of repairing broken objects using gold or silver dust) repair techniques.