I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology from the University of North Dakota in 1977. Since graduation, I have worked for Century Geophysical, Continental Laboratories, Getty Oil Petrotomics, the United States Geological Survey, and the United States Bureau of Land Management. I retired from the government in 2012. Since then I have pursued my passions for mineral collecting and gold prospecting.

I started collecting fossils and minerals when I was a boy and my collection contains over 1,500 minerals and fossils. My favorite minerals are fluorite, wulfenite and copper. I've spent many years studying the geology of Manitoba and the geology of Wyoming. I've been a member of the Wyoming Geological Association and have held the office of secretary and treasurer and was a guidebook editor for this organization. I have accompanied the Smithsonian Institute on field trips to the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

I also enjoy gold prospecting and do this on a regular basis. I've prospected for gold in California, Montana, Colorado, Arizona, and Alaska. I recently went to a gold camp that was about 20 miles northeast of Nome, Alaska.