David M. Sherman was born on July 6, 1943, at Fort Benning, Georgia, and raised in Albany. He attended Georgia Military College and the University of Georgia, earning an A. B. in American History in 1965. After ten years of working in the corporate world, Sherman turned his focus to the public sector. He accepted the position of State Coordinator for the Georgia Heritage Trust, Georgia Department of Natural Resources in 1975, and later served as Director of the Office of Planning and Research for the department. In 1978, Mr. Sherman left state government to pursue a career with the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service (1978-1990).
Upon his retirement in 2004, Mr. Sherman had served as the National Special Projects Coordinator with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service for thirteen years. Mr. Sherman continues to pursue his interests of research, hiking, and travel.