Built on more than 40 years of experience in recreation and park management, he is a Ph.D.-level specialist focused on boating and river safety, with particular depth in whitewater environments, risk management, and accident causation. His expertise spans canoeing, kayaking, rafting, and swiftwater rescue, along with the investigation of water-related injuries and fatalities, especially within river and outfitter contexts. His work emphasizes understanding how incidents occur and applying structured risk management principles to prevent them.

Across a long-standing academic career, he served as a professor and department leader in recreation and parks management, where he developed safety-centered curricula, conducted research on accident processes, and advanced industry practices in outdoor recreation risk management. He has led federally funded initiatives, including projects supported by federal maritime safety agencies, to produce widely used boating safety manuals, instructional materials, and training resources, alongside authoring books, articles, and award-winning safety media.

His litigation experience spans more than 30 years and includes extensive involvement in cases related to rafting incidents, boating accidents, and water-related fatalities. His work typically involves case review, site analysis, expert opinion development, affidavits, depositions, and, in select matters, trial testimony, with a case history reflecting consistent engagement in both plaintiff and defense matters involving recreational safety and risk evaluation.