I was born in San Franciso and grew up building tree houses with my cousins in England.  At age 16 my Mother recruited me as a Camp Counselor, Crafts and Swim Instructor at Camp Schwano and at various “Day Camps” she offered free for under priveliged inner city kids while working for the Camp Fire Girls, Inc. Organisation (an alternative to the Girls Scouts of America) in and around Dayton, Ohio.

I studied Business Management at the University of Maryland Campus in Munich, Germany and spent his summers working at a Campground in the Bavarian Alps on scenic Lake Chiemsee. After finishing my Bachelors in Interpersonal Communications at Ohio University in Athens,  I returned to Bavaria to work for the U.S. Army in the Hotel Business and later in Recreation.

As the Director of Youth Activies at Bad Aibling, I put together a diversified program of activities for the 350 youth ranging from 5-19 years old on the U.S. Base.  The activites varied from tree bridge games, sailing instruction and various water sports, to moutain hiking and rock climbing.

I wrote a Concept for a German tour company, incorparating “Environmental Education” into the American Adventure Camps theme and managed what later became known as the Tjaery Club – a series of 27 Mini-Clubs for 4-11 year olds on holiday with their parents in resort hotels around the Mediteranian and Caribbean Seas following the underlying theme of “Nature-Education” incorparated into Adventure Camps.  The program was offered six days a week with qualified Staff who were recruited and re-trained as “Nature Coaches”. The highlights of the weekly program, besides the “Tjaery Show”, were the “Evening Nature Hikes” (Nachtwanderung) experiencing nature along the beach after sunset.  The program is had a major influence on childrens programs on the German market and has been copied by many competitors.

The Tjaery Club developed into a big success and was expanded to include the Tjaery Action Team -  a special program for teenagers from 12-15 with a heavy emphasis on Sports and Adventure Activities like Nature Hiking, Safaris and Beach Bonfire parties.

Following that I worked for Vieten Tours as Camp Manager in Macon, Georgia managing a “Tent City” housing, feeding and bussing 1500 German Youth Sports-Organization’s teenagers to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

I currently live on the Rhine near Duesseldorf and still work in tourism. My hobbies include sailing, traveling and experiencing nature with children.