Alan started scribbling, jotting down notes - some might call it writing - when he was around 11 years old.  He still has a very small 3-ring binder (3 1/2 inches by 5 inches) that contains a few pages of notes on yellowed paper that he wrote on a train ride from California back to his birth state of Michigan the summer before his 12th birthday. Not always grammatically correct writing at that point but the heart was there.

Given his love of the outdoors, he started his college career majoring in Forestry but switched to Sociology for his degree. Working with kids through various YMCA programs had an influence on the change. That education in science, people and society has served him well in his ongoing curiosity about how we live on, and interact with, this planet.  He went back to school, not exactly sure what he wanted to major in, and ended up taking some environmental classes as well as some coursework in urban and regional planning. Before he could complete his Masters degree coursework he ended up working in the solar energy field in San Jose, California and Salem, Oregon and then the broader environmental field with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

Alan has always been an avid reader and collector of books. After retiring, he ran a bookselling business from his home but didn't make a lot of money with that venture because he had trouble letting go of the books he collected! He loves walking in the woods or by a stream, and spending time with family and friends.  He lives in Beaverton, Oregon with his wife Dawn and dog Tucker on property that backs up to a natural area with plenty of trees and a creek running through it. Perfect for a quiet walk anytime he wants.