For the past 40 years, I have worked as a lifeguard, professional rescue instructor, and first aid and CPR instructor. Safety and looking after the people aboard have always been part of the job.
I am certified to kayak on the Cheat and New Rivers and have never had a violation on any vessel. I have driven sampans in Hong Kong and sailed a felucca on Egypt’s Nile. I know the Great Lakes, the Mississippi, and the Intracoastal Waterway, and have operated commercial vessels in the Chicago area.
After Hurricane Sandy, I was among the first Red Cross teams sent to Long Island, where I managed more than 200 staff and medical personnel. I have also crewed 100-foot, century-old schooners off the coast of Maine and helped retrieve a satellite off Chicago at NASA’s request.