Dan has worn many different hats ranging vastly from being an airline pilot to consulting for the Arizona State Board of Education about changing policy and standards. Prior to becoming a pilot, some of his work included digital security consulting for various clients, working with tactical and government agencies, public speaking engagements, and more. With family support Dan worked on a litany of projects before starting his career officially, some of which led to his becoming a published poet at age 11, accepted to compete in a Honeywell science innovation competition with his invention “Bird-B-Gone”, and shortly after, as the youngest filmmaker to compete in the first Peoria Film Festival where he had three films accepted to show in 2008.

Shortly after his silver screen debut in the Peoria Film Festival Dan became an Intern for the City of Peoria’s Communications Department and worked with the City Council, TV Station (Channel 11), and other departments within the City. During his career, Dan has had the pleasure of working with many dignitaries, elected officials, and well-known figures like Secretary of the United States Air Force Barbara Barrett, Muhammad Ali, Senator John McCain, Emmy Award Winning Actor Bill Oberst Jr., Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and more. From 2019-2021 Dan was involved with Companion Pets in Crisis (CPiC, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. His experience working with municipalities, tactical and fire/medical departments, and various government agencies helped him in successfully securing new government and private sector partnerships, funding, donations, and driving volunteer engagement. Dan quickly progressed through the ranks of CPiC first as a first responder, then Public Information Officer, and finally as Operations Manager when he resigned at the end of his term in July 2021. Dan has served in a variety of first-response roles, many of which combined all of his skill sets. Most notably, Dan was a volunteer Disaster Responder (DAT Team) with the American Red Cross on both a local and national level.

In this volunteer role, he accepted a deployment to a Disaster Zone to assist in response efforts. Dan has since worked with animal rescues around the country on a volunteer basis doing animal behavior training, rescuing, and animal rehabilitation.  Additionally, he has spoken many times to audiences of young minds between the ages of 11-18 years old about animal rescue and disaster response, as well as other topics like business, media, and marketing. Dan was involved as a mentor with STEM-based education groups such as the Chief Science Officers (Scottsdale, AZ). Being conversational in German and having Germanic roots provided Dan the unique opportunity of giving lectures at high schools and private universities in both Austria and Germany about technical topics and encouraging submissions to a new multicultural and international film festival.

  Dan earned his BS Degree in Business Administration and an Associate’s in Applied Science Degree in Motion Picture Production. After college, Dan served on the Board of Directors for AC4GC (a non-profit corporation located in Phoenix, Arizona devoted to preserving and promoting Germanic cultures). After the completion of his term as a Director for AC4GC Dan wanted to stay involved with non-profit policy and promotion. His interest in health and fitness stemmed from being struck by lightning in 2010 which prompted him to then secure a position as a Director on the Board of Directors for the New Life Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that provided support and educational services for organ and tissue transplant recipients and donor families. His newfound passion for health and wellness also led him to become a nationally certified personal trainer in 2017 (ACT). Additionally, this personal training and fitness experience helped Dan to be cast in the 2018 season of American Ninja Warrior as the Puppy Pilot Ninja, on which he competed in the Jurassic World Night.