My paddling career began at 15 as a result of an ill-fated trip in a Styrofoam sailboat, an unknown river, and a blown out dam. I was instantly hooked. I went to an outfitter and bought a boat, never having sat in a kayak before. Boating quickly became a key part of my life both from the river experience and the fellowship that developed with my paddling friends.

After a well spent youth as a raft guide and photographer on the Ocoee, Chattooga, and Gauley, I eventually completed college and began a career as an environmental engineer.

I became involved with AW as a volunteer in the 1990s on the Chattooga effort as AW started petitioning for access and study.

I was elected to the AW Board of Directors in 2013.