The beginning:  

I spent my youth as a “Navy Brat”.  I was born on the remote pacific atoll of Midway Island, approximately ½ way between Hawaii & Japan and home of the famous WWII naval battle.  Being born on a remote tropical island, and moving every couple of years to places like San Diego, Cuba, Florida, and other exotic locales, set the foundation within me of a love for travel.  Pair that with being given a camera at a very young age, and spending my formative years cultivating a sense of adventure & love for adventure sports (Surfing, Skateboarding, Scuba Diving, & others), and you could say that I was raised to explore the world & all of its adventurous opportunities.  Our family eventually settled in Northeast Florida, where I began volunteering at the Castillo De San Marcos National Monument, and developed my lifelong love of National Parks and desire to one day serve as a Park Ranger.

Early Professional life:  

After high school I enlisted in the US Air Force.  During my single enlistment in the USAF I began applying my sense of adventure professionally, through practice in Search & Rescue, Parachuting, High-angle Rescue.  Likewise, I began cultivating a love for Outdoor Leadership & Instruction by volunteering as a Rock Climbing & Rappelling and Wilderness Survival & Medicine Instructor.

After my enlistment in the USAF, and after a thru-hike of the entire 2,184 mile Appalachian Trail, I decided to apply my Veteran's Educational benefits towards my love for Photography by attending the Academy of Art College in San Francisco CA.  Upon the completion of my time in Art School, I returned to NE Florida and became very involved in a local non-profit Art Center, where I maintained a photography business and served as Operations Director & then Executive Director.  During this era, as many artists do, I also worked as a Barista, Bartender, and Server.

One day, early in 2003, I was walking to my office along the Jacksonville Florida waterfront and came across a 130' “Tall Ship” (replica of an early 19th century sailing vessel).  The beauty of this vessel, and the knowledge that the ship was just visiting my town, re-kindled my sense of adventure.  That morning I met the Captain, and before that ship had left our port I had convinced him to take me onboard as a deckhand and the ship's “Purser” (money manager).  With this new opportunity... I gave up my studio & apartment, put most of my belongings in storage, and began a new career as a professional sailor.  During the next few years, I would serve a total of 14 contracts aboard Tall-Ships as a professional Sailor & Outdoor Educator.  I eventually obtained my USCG “Master” (Captain) license, met & married my Wife, became an American Sailing Association Instructor, and served as an officer aboard scientific research vessels & expedition cruise ships.  During that time my Wife, a fellow sailor & mariner, became a Commissioned Officer in the US Coast Guard, and I began the next chapter in my life as a USCG Spouse.

Just a couple years after joining the USCG “family,”our family grew when we welcomed our daughter into the world.  At that time I decided that the best way that I could support my Wife's career (& care for our new edition) would be to put my career on hold to serve full time as a stay-at-home Dad (new job title: “Captain Daddy”).  For several years I would be proud to serve our family as a Coast Guard “Hubby” and dedicated Dad to our beautiful girl.

The next chapter:

Once our “Puffin” became old enough to start preschool I re-entered the world of professional Mariner and Outdoor Educator.  I served as Captain aboard an educational replica sailing vessel and as a guide / outdoor educator & outdoor retail outfitter, in New England, before my Wife's career allowed us a unique opportunity to embark on an adventure that we could not pass up.  We purchased a 34' travel trailer, put our household in storage, and went “on the road” for 13 months.  During that time we visited 56 National Park Service Units (& other attractions) in 39 States, and spent a lot of time hiking & sharing my love of landscape photography on social media.  It was also during this time that I decided that I wanted to finally realize my lifelong dream of serving as a Park Ranger for a major National Park.

Where I have come:

Upon completion of our year-long road trip, we landed back in the San Francisco Bay area (also where my Wife & I met, got engaged, got our first place together, got married).  Promptly after landing back in the Bay Area I began my professional relationship with the REI Co-Op, traveled to Washington State to attend Remote Medical Training's “Remote EMT” course, began working as an “Independent Health & Safety Technician” (on-call EMT), and began learning the complicated National Park Service application process.  In the spring of 2020 everything became unsure, as the global pandemic shut everything down and I settled back into the job of stay-at-home Dad, this time with the added challenge of trying to figure out how to “facilitate” the last couple months of my daughter's Kindergarten education.  Until May, that is, when all of my planning & persistence paid off and I was fortunate to have been selected to serve the Summer as a Park Ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park.

I reported to “ROMO” just before Memorial Day Weekend and served as an Interpretive / EMT Ranger at the park's Alpine Visitor Center (at 11,780'), as well as on the park's Search & Rescue team, until I ended my season in mid-August to return home and help facilitate my daughter's return to school (as a 1st grader now).  Upon return to the bay area my local REI store welcomed me home with open arms, and I have continued my works in the realms of Photography, Outdoor Education & Leadership, social media content providing and “influencing”, and applying to the NPS for Park Ranger positions in the Summer 2021 Season.

What's to come:

Who knows.  Life is an adventure.  I will continue to be a proud supporter of my Wife's career as a US Coast Guard Leader, a dedicated Father, a Photography & Adventure addict, and a committed Outdoor Education & Leadership Professional.

My life is an ongoing adventure!  

Click on the link to E-Mail me if you would like to request a copy of my Resume if you would like to know more...  And follow me on my various Social Medias, and check in from time to time, to see where I go next.