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After graduating from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Dan began his career as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer leading at-sea boardings around the world in pursuit of suspected drug-runners and pirates, and then Commanding an 87’ Cutter in San Francisco, CA. He later earned a Top-Secret clearance and served as Program Manager for the Pacific Area Fleet before transitioning to civilian life and beginning his career in IT and cyber risk management and security.

After five years at a Fortune 500 company where he ultimately served as Chief of Staff to the SVP responsible for over $2B in annual revenue, Dan founded Arete Solutions. Arete {ah-reh-tay} is an ancient Greek concept for "the pursuit of excellence," and Arete Solutions is a consulting firm and disabled veteran owned small business that advises and supports critical infrastructure and government leaders on information security governance, risk management, and compliance. Dan and his team of experts surpassed $3M in revenue in their first 18 months by performing risk assessments; documenting and delivering plans, policies, and research; managing and staffing technical programs; and reselling enterprise hardware and software tools. Their mission is to help clients make excellent decisions.

Dan also serves on several regional nonprofit Boards and Advisory Councils, including the 1K+ member Central Florida AFCEA Chapter and the West Florida Area Maritime Security Advisory Committee. He is passionate about K12 education and enjoys facilitating practical STEM and cybersecurity experiences and mentorships for educators and students across Florida.