David Leffler
Board Member
David Leffler is an award-winning investigative journalist whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, Business Insider, and Texas Monthly.
As a staff writer for Public Health Watch, a nonprofit investigative newsroom based in Austin, David covers toxic chemical pollution and other environmental justice issues. His work there has produced three enterprise investigations focused on state and federal regulators' failure to protect fenceline communities living in the shadow of petrochemical plants. In addition to bringing much-needed attention to issues and people that are often cast aside, these investigations have led to significant changes in Texas environmental law - including raising fines for industrial polluters. Although the majority of David's projects are long-form written stories, he's also the host of Public Health Watch's upcoming environmental justice podcast, Fumed, and helped produce Witnessed: 19 Days, a podcast about the 2018 serial bombings that shook Austin to its core. He believes that truth, accountability, and equity are key pillars in a just society.
David is an Austin native who received his B.A. in government from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, playing basketball, and exploring hiking trails with his dog, Dini.
Board Member
David Leffler is an award-winning investigative journalist whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, Business Insider, and Texas Monthly.
As a staff writer for Public Health Watch, a nonprofit investigative newsroom based in Austin, David covers toxic chemical pollution and other environmental justice issues. His work there has produced three enterprise investigations focused on state and federal regulators' failure to protect fenceline communities living in the shadow of petrochemical plants. In addition to bringing much-needed attention to issues and people that are often cast aside, these investigations have led to significant changes in Texas environmental law - including raising fines for industrial polluters. Although the majority of David's projects are long-form written stories, he's also the host of Public Health Watch's upcoming environmental justice podcast, Fumed, and helped produce Witnessed: 19 Days, a podcast about the 2018 serial bombings that shook Austin to its core. He believes that truth, accountability, and equity are key pillars in a just society.
David is an Austin native who received his B.A. in government from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, playing basketball, and exploring hiking trails with his dog, Dini.
