Traits I value:

Integrity

"The state of being whole and undivided"

Curiosity

"A strong desire to know or learn something"

Humility

"A modest view of ones own strengths"

Productivity

"Achieving a significant amount or result"

My Mission

"To transform data and analytics into information and insight, creating improved decision making processes that increase organizational impact."

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Testimonials

"I've had the pleasure of working with Dave for a number of years now, first as a coworker and now as a colleauge at a different organization. He has a high level of personal integrity and I can trust that anything Dave does will be done right. Dave always strives to understand a situation and find the best solutions, often thinking outside the box. I would always pick Dave to be on my team, regardless of the task."

-Jenny Yoo

Washington Department of Ecology

"Dave is one of the very best students I've ever had in our MBA microeconomics and statistics courses over the last 30 years. He is bright, hard-working, inquisitive, and articulate; and he is a genuinely nice guy who works well with others. I am happy to give him my strongest and most enthusiastic recommendation!"

-Dr. Steve Henson

Western Washington University

"Dave's interest in identifying data-centric and complex relationships between systems is overshadowed by his ability to explain multiple complex ideas on any front. After watching him achieve amazing academics for two years there are things that don't get the recognition they deserve like his willingness to help others without accolades or fanfare."

-Rod Redfern MBA

Western Washington University

"Dave and I worked together in environmental consulting in Massachusetts. He was one of the most efficient and competent people in the office and his awesome sense of humor brought joy to the workday and camraderie to our team"

-Anne Hamlin

Coneco Engineers & Scientists

"Dave's generosity and easy connection with people are exceptional. His education, will for preparation, and positive attitude show integrity that is heartening as a team member."

-Russ Briskin

Firefighter

"Dave was an invaluable asset on each project we worked on together. Not only did he execute sophisticated analytic brilliance, he also consistently offered fresh, create perspectives and solutions to complex problems. These traits coupled with his sense of humor and easy demeanor make Dave a fantastic team member"

-Kristine Baker MBA

Western Washington University

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Front-End Developer

I have more than 5 years of experience maintaining websites with WYSIWYG tools such as Drupal and Adobe Dreamweaver. In the summer of 2018 I completed a front end web development course at Western Washington University that taught me how to code a website from scratch using common front end languages and libraries. I have a solid understanding of relational databases which has enabled me to quickly learn the syntax and functionality of MySQL. In order to implement MySQL databases I have begun to learn php, and intend to complete additional college level courses in server side development in the coming months.

Skills

HTML/CSS

90%

JavaScript

75%

JQuery

75%

Bootstrap

70%

MySQL

80%

PHP

60%

Drupal

70%

Back to Education

WWU MBA

The Western Washington University MBA program combines technical, managerial, and leadership curricula with a startup, growth, and pivot focused capstone to build a comprehensive business foundation. The MBA program emphasizes interdisciplinary enterprise management to create adaptive leaders ready to succeed in a dynamic, changing, and interconnected business environment. The program has earned AACSB certification, a distinction achieved by only 5% of business schools worldwide.

Achievements

Graduated Spring 2018
4.o GPA
Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society
Donald H. Cole Memorial Graduate Fellowship
Academic Excellence Award (peer vote)

Back to Education

Applied Analytics

Turning data into actionable insights is both one of the greatest challenges and opportunities in todays business environment. During my studies in the WWU MBA program I consistently found ways to leverage publicly available data to answer challenging business questions. The image above links to a data visualization I created to evaluate markets for international expansion of a fast service restaurant chain.

While a student I also had the chance to help the WWU College of Business and Economics use data to tackle a complex scheduling issue. I sliced the data by various student demographics to identify target segments for the summer quarter and conducted an affinity analysis of more than ten years of summer course enrollment data in order to identify the optimal course pairings for the college to offer during the summer quarter. This data was presented to decision makers within the college and was used to modify subsequent summer quarter course offerings.

Skills

Microsoft Excel

95%

Tableau

90%

Python

75%

Multivariate Regression

85%

Financial Modeling

90%

Cluster Analysis

70%

Decision Tree Classification

70%

Affinity Analysis

75%

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Experience

I got my first taste of emergency response work in 2006 volunteering as a responder to marine mammal strandings on Cape Cod. I realized immediately that I excel at getting things done in high pressure environments, and emergency response has been a part of my life ever since. I spent a number of years on the east coast working as a private sector consultant organizing emergency remediation activities for releases of hazardous materials. This work culminated with several months of work leading natural resource damage assesment teams during the Deepwater Horizon response efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.

After working on the Deepwater Horizon response I moved back to Washington and began working as a State On-Scene Coordinator for the Washignton Department of Ecology Spill Response Team. This position required me to simultaneously wear the hats of government regulator, subject matter expert, and project coordinator. It was an extremely challenging and rewarding role that taught me an incredible amount about buidling teams and leading people. I left Ecology in 2014 after earning an agency service award for my efforts in responding to the tragic Oso landslide.

I couldn't stay away from emergency response for long and in 2015 I joined North Whatcom Fire and Rescue as a part time firefighter and emergency medical technician. I graduated from the fire academy earning the Chief's Award for Outstanding Achievement, and continue serving the Whatcom County community in this role today.

Success as an emergency responder requires an ability to think on your feet and a predisposition to making actionable decisions. Additionally, you need to be able to form and lead teams in high pressure situations. While I sharpened these skills as an emergency responder, they have also served me well in a business environment. The ability to bring people together, stay focused in tense situations, and make actionable decisions with imperfect information are essential to success in any workplace.

Back to Work

"Plans are worthless. Planning is essential" -Dwight Eisenhower

Project Management

Fresh out of college I accepted a program supervisor position with AmeriCorps Cape Cod. The position required me to manage a wide range of environmental restoration projects with a crew of 13 full time AmeriCorps members and more than 30 service partners. With projects that included wildland fire fuels management, the position was a literal project management trial by fire, and it taught me the importance of communication in balancing the interests of a wide variety of stakeholders.

When my period of service with AmeriCorps was up, I began work with an environmental consulting firm that had me managing a wide range of environmental remediation projects, from emergency response acitivities that lasted hours or days, to cleanup of historically contaminated sites that stretched on for years with seven figure budgets. The emergency response aspect of the position meant a constantly evolving project portfolio which taught me the importance of advanced scheduling, the dangers of procrastination, and the need for budget management.

As a State On Scene Coordinator for the Department of Ecology Spill Response team I managed the state response to a large volume of hazardous materials spills. These responses ranged in size from small cleanups only needing one or two people, to National Incident Management System type III responses involving hundreds of response personnel over multiple weeks. In this position I learned the importance of adaptability and the true meaning of the saying "speak softly and carry a big stick"

Most recently, my position at Western Washington University has put me in charge of the University's Hazardous Materials Management Program, where I have 3-4 student employees to carry out field activities. The position has required all of the project management skills I learned in previous positions, and it has provided me with a valuable opportunity to practice intent based leadership with my student employees.

Projects come in all shapes in sizes. In every case project success relies on a few key factor; effective communication with all stakeholders, advanced scheduling and budgeting, the ability to adapt and make decisions with changing information, and leadership that people respond to. My professional history has prepared me with each of these unique skills, and I am ready to successfully manage any project that comes my way.

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Data vs. Information

"Data is what you need to do Analytics. Information is what you need to do Business." -John Owen

As an indivdual that experiences the world numerically, analytics have always resonated with me. From developing an optimal strategy for drafting a fantasy sports team to maximizing efficiencies in hazardous material processing at work I easily incorporate data to improve decision making processes. However, not everyone processes the world in numbers, making the ability to translate analytics into easily understood forms essential to improving decision making at the organizational level.

As I have progressed through my career I have become skilled at translating analytics results into information that is applicable to organizations and readily communicating these findings to non-technical audiences. When I began as the hazardous waste manager at WWU, I realized there was a massive opportunity for cost savings by modifying our handling processes. While the savings potential was clear to me, constantly changing waste streams and consistent increases in waste volume made the potential savings difficult for others to see. To solve this problem I created some simple key performance indicators such as disposal cost per pound and developed easy to understand visuals to communicate the savings to decision makers. Turning data into information is essential for any organization to remain competitive in today's business environment.

Case Study

When anecdotes are supported by data it creates a compelling case for business action. During my time with Environmental Health and Safety at WWU I found an opportunity to combine anecdotal evidence about problematic areas on campus with empirical data to create a compelling visualization of campus hazard reports. The visualization clearly tells an indisputable story that can be used by Safety Officers to appropriately target limited resources, and by management to succesfully compete for University wide funding of safety programs. Click on the image above to view the dashboard.

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Pacific Northwest

"Not until we are lost can we begin to find ourselves"

I consider myself fortunate to live in this corner of the world where the mountains meet the sea. This geography provides a diverse landscape creating a paradise for outdoor exploration. From climbing the peaks of the cascades to paddling the waters of the salish sea and everything in between, the pacific northwest provides the ultimate playground for an adventurous soul.

Mt. Baker Adventures

San Juan Paddling

Mt. Rainier Climb

Assorted Backpacking Expeditions

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Back to Play

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

My Better Half

"What if I was made for you and you were made for me? What if this is it? What if it's meant to be?"

In 2013 I was blessed to find a partner willing to travel the dirt roads with me on this adventure we call life. She supports my wildest ideas and constantly pushes me to strive for more. In 2016 we married in a breathtaking ceremony on the summit of Mt. Baker. (Click on the image to view photos from the wedding climb) We continue to climb mountains and paddle oceans together, and with her by my side every day is an epic adventure.

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Back to Play

Comet & Oso

When I am not working or studying, you can often find me being lead around town by my two faithful Siberian Huskies. Comet and Oso have been a part of my life since they were eight weeks old and they deliver unconditional love on a daily basis. They also make sure to remind me constantly that they are in charge and I am simply along for the ride! Click on the image to see more pictures of these dogs and their adventures.

"Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love. They depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog, it merely expands the heart"

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