Dan is the third generation of his family to work in construction. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, father and stepfather, all of whom were contractors and builders, he began working as a union carpenter for two years after high school before heading off to college. While earning a B.A. in Liberal Arts and a Masters in Psychology, he spent summers working in carpentry, giving him a life-long appreciation for craftsmanship, as well as an eye-opening view of the detrimental impacts of mainstream construction practices. As a passionate environmentalist, sustainability quickly became a core motivator in all aspects of his business, and he began to seek holistic and effective solutions by considering alternative and “green” building materials, energy efficiency, and the long-term viability of the structures he was building. By the time the green building movement took off in the late 90’s, Dan was already fully on-board.
Over the years, Dan has worked for solar and home-performance energy companies, a strawbale-design building firm, green collar job training, and has founded two green communities: 611 Ecovillage and Laytonville Ecovillage. Today, with 25 years of building experience to his name (20 of which are in green building alone), he is a licensed general contractor and green building consultant who walks the talk. For Dan, the concept of “Going Green” extends far beyond responsible construction. Rather, he sees green building as a part of a greater, long-term paradigm shift that is currently gaining momentum, irrespective of the swinging pendulum of politics and trends. He enjoys sharing his extensive knowledge with a pragmatic and solution-oriented approach.