A lifelong Northwesterner, I grew up in Edmonds WA as the oldest of 3 boys. In 1982, I received a BS in Fisheries from the University of Washington, where I participated as a member of the rowing team’s Varsity 8 for 3 out of 4 years. My best memory was beating California and crossing the finish line for the PAC 10 championship, just as Mt. St Helens blew up on May 18, 1980. I went on to race for the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley, England, in 1981, ultimately losing to the British national team.