Welcome — and a Little About Mike!

Welcome to my professional site. While the rest of these pages cover the credentials and the career, this corner is reserved for the human stuff.

I have been fortunate enough to have three very separate and rewarding careers. The first in the military, which flowed naturally into civilian law enforcement, and then nearly 35 years in the diving industry — a journey that placed me on the leading edge of the fledgling technical diving industry and opened doors for me to visit places few people will ever go.

Through most of this journey I have been accompanied by my wife of 35 years, Dorothy. She has traveled the world with me, lived in vast corners of this great country alongside me, and has been directly responsible for bringing me back from both devastating injuries and significant illness — with equal measures of steadfast support and a firm kick in the ass when required. I absolutely would no longer be here without her.

Twenty one years ago our daughter Alana joined the adventure. She is a remarkable young woman in her own right — she inherited my sense of wanderlust, my love of adventure, and an abject inability to back down from a challenge. Together we still take every opportunity to hit the road on a motorcycle, hike the backcountry, and explore any new corner of the world we can reach. Her favorite addition to the family adventure portfolio is the horse trail, which she pursues with considerably more skill than her father – but I am always game for the ride. She absolutely holds me to what she was told from her early life on horseback (about age 6) saddling up is half a battle, but the adventure is having the guts to ride. Dad’s should be very careful what they say.

I remain the only avid diver in the family and still love nothing more than the inside of a deep water wreck of historical significance or the underwater caverns and caves that populate the globe. When not underwater, I read voraciously, study law and various areas of science, and write on whatever topic has captured my attention. I still like to shoot, preferably long distances and I teach various firearms and defensive shooting classes. I also continue to serve as a Master Aerospace Educator, Senior Emergency Services (ES) Training Office and Squadron Commander with the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary – Civil Air Patrol, where I have the privilege of being SAR air crew for ES missions, teaching a bit and most rewarding of all, helping build the next generation of American Leaders.

It has been a remarkable ride and I ain’t done yet.

Thanks for stopping by, pull up a saddle and stay for a while or drop us a note, we’d love to hear from you.

Safe Diving,
Mike