Don graduated from Hampton University, with further Civil Engineering study at the University of Hartford and the University of Connecticut.
The bulk of his career was in the insurance industry. During the 30 years at Travelers, he enjoyed working initially as a Field Engineer in the Hartford, CT office. Then, working in the home office, he became a Construction & Civil Engineering Specialist and Inland & Ocean Marine Engineering Specialist.
At Travelers, this work experience was enriched by contributing as:
- Chairman: Construction Safety Committee for the State of Massachusetts Workers' Compensation Commission.
- Committee Member: ANSI A10.4 – Personnel Hoists; ANSI A10.5 – Material Hoists; ANSI A10.13 – Steel Erection; Tower Crane Manufacturer’s Association; Construction Safety Committee of the American Insurance Association; National Safety Council Construction Safety
- Member: BOCA Building Code, Uniform Building Code and the Southern Building Code; the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); and the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE)
Through his work with Travelers, Don also worked with the American Nuclear Insurers (ANI) insurance pool as the 'Competent Person' for observing and assuring the adequacy of construction and civil engineering hazard recognition and control procedures at nuclear-generating sites. He also trained non-construction engineers for Travelers and other ANI-member insurance companies to recognize typical uncontrolled hazards.
After retirement, Don became a member of Bridgefacts, LLC. Presently, this company is Construct Safe a.k.a. Bridgefacts, LLC. Construct Safe focuses on presenting the Federal OSHA Outreach Program to employees of contractors, and construction coordinators of host businesses that have outside contractors on their premises. OSHA authorizes outreach trainers, including Don, to relate how our individual construction safety experiences relate to the Federal OSHA Construction Regulations.
In 2004, being a ham radio operator, he became a volunteer teacher of Wireless and Amateur Radio (ham radio) Communications at Talcott Mountain Science Center and Academy (TMSC). In 2009, TMSC added Don as a member of their Board of Trustees. He has enjoyed all of the experiences immensely.