A U.S. Army veteran and seasoned expedition leader, he began his military service at age 19 with the Connecticut Army National Guard. Deployed to Afghanistan from 2006 to 2007 attached to the 10th Mountain Division, he served as an M240B machine gunner providing security for high-level dignitaries, civil affairs teams, and military engineers. Following an honorable discharge in 2013 and the completion of a degree in Justice and Law Administration from Western Connecticut State University, he bypassed a traditional career in law enforcement or defense to pursue a life in outdoor leadership, finding healing, fitness, and renewed purpose on public lands and rivers.
Over twelve years working across public lands and waters, he has built an extensive career as an expeditionary trip leader, whitewater specialist, and backcountry ranger. Since launching his river career in Colorado in 2015, he has specialized in captaining large raft rigs on multi-week Class I through V expeditions across the American West, leading long-format trips through iconic watersheds including the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, the Green and Colorado Rivers in Canyonlands National Park, the Rio Grande in Big Bend, and the Arkansas River. His field experience also includes serving as a National Park Service Backcountry Ranger in Canyonlands’ remote Maze and River districts, working as a certified SCUBA instructor, and volunteering as a climbing and mountaineering guide.
Grounded in the belief that shared hardship and outdoor engagement help veterans regain purpose, he has dedicated over a decade to leading veterans in wild places. Working with organizations such as Sierra Club Military Outdoors, Veterans Expeditions, VetVoice Foundation, and the Pew Charitable Trusts, he has connected military alumni to transformative wilderness trips while championing major conservation campaigns, playing a key role in the advocacy that led to the designation and defense of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide and Bears Ears National Monuments.
Currently serving as a Senior Advisor with Veterans for Public Lands, he mobilizes veterans to engage state and federal decision-makers, news media, and local stakeholders around national monument defense and public land policy. Whether guiding high-volume whitewater, organizing backcountry expeditions, or leading legislative advocacy, his mission remains centered on empowering the military community through continued service to America’s public lands and waters.
