A Brooklyn, NY native, David was raised by his single Puerto Rican mother. Considered an at-risk youth at the age of 12, Ayala entered the revolving doors of the criminal justice system. His new life began in 2006 when he returned home from federal prison at 33 years old.

Today, David holds an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration from Valencia Community College, a Bachelor of Arts in Nonprofit Management with a Minor in Business from the University of Central Florida, and a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from the University of Central Florida. David assumed the role of FICPFM Executive Director in September of 2022.

Since his return, David has served as the first Chapter President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), dedicated to ending the disenfranchisement and discrimination of people with criminal convictions. As the Southeast Regional Organizer for Latino Justice PRLDEF, he developed the groundwork in the Latino community to help pass Amendment 4, which restored voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians with felony convictions. He is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Institute to End Mass Incarceration at Harvard Law School and the Board of WREN Collective.

David has been happily married to his wife, Aramis Ayala, for over a decade; they are proud parents of their two daughters. While passionate about criminal justice reform, he enjoys spending quality time with his family, running, and watching movies in his downtime. David remains an active member of his church, Rejoice in the Lord Ministries in Florida, where he and his family reside.