Born Louisville, Kentucky, 1954. Graduated from University of Colorado in 1977 with Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering. Initial work experience with Bureau of Reclamation in Grand Junction, Colorado as design engineer. In 1982 accepted position with Bechtel International as construction engineer at Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Responsible for construction supervision of several large site development projects including earthworks, water supply and road construction.

Graduate study at M.I.T. in geotechnical engineering with emphasis on underground construction. Subsequently worked for Electrowatt Engineering in Switzerland as geotechnical engineer. Project experience included excavation and foundation design, slope stability studies, groundwater studies and design of caverns and tunnels.

In 1990 invited to join smh Tunnel Engineering in Switzerland, a consulting firm specialized in the design of underground works, as partner responsible for geotechnical activities. Ongoing projects include the 4.6 km Murgenthal Tunnel for the Swiss Federal Railways and a 2.6 km vehicular tunnel in Canton Uri.

Technical expertise centers on the analysis and design of tunnels and caverns. Experience includes drill and blast, partial-face excavation with shotcrete support, TBM-excavation with segmental concrete lining, and cut-and-cover tunnels and stations. Technical contributions include practical application of finite element methods to analyze tunnels in swelling rock and vibrations in railway tunnels. Also has wide experience in site investigations, feasibility studies and detailed design of underground works.

Management experience includes participating in engineering joint ventures, with emphasis on establishing design procedures and handling peer reviews. Has developed planning tools for both risk assessment and value engineering.