Dan grew up on a farm in Minnesota with five brothers. After spending time in the army, he obtained a bachelors degree in engineering from the University of Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993.
Dan has been an emergency medicine clinician since 1995, alternating between the Visalia and the Arroyo Grande emergency hospitals. Since 2001, Dan has owned and operated a mobile surgical practice, providing soft tissue and orthopedic surgical services for Central Coast veterinary hospitals. His special interests include: fracture repair, reconstructive surgery, and cruciate ligament injuries.
When not working, Dan can be found enjoying the outdoors, farming, and beekeeping.