Areas of Expertise: Federal legislative process, budget and appropriations, nonlethal approaches to reducing conflicts with wildlife, marine mammal protection, the North Atlantic right whale, protection of migratory birds, Rice's whale, vessel speed rule, and the Farm Bill (wildlife conservation on private lands).

Dan leads Defenders’ federal advocacy to protect wildlife in a variety of diverse areas. His issue portfolio includes private lands in the 2024 Farm Bill; marine mammals; reducing human-wildlife conflicts, and migratory birds.

Dan advocates for wildlife-friendly policies in the Farm Bill’s conservation programs which impact private lands; and increased funding for a program to promote nonlethal solutions to reduce conflicts between humans and species such as grizzly bears, wolves and beavers.

Dan advocates for conservation measures to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, including the proposed vessel speed rule to reduce the risk of vessel strikes and efforts to reduce entanglements with fishing gear; strengthening and / or defending the Marine Mammal Protection Act; lobbies for increased protections for the critically endangered Rice’s whale in the Gulf of Mexico, including a critical habitat designation for the species; and supporting the creation of a new permitting system to help protect migratory birds.

Prior to joining Defenders in January 2022, Dan was a safari consultant where he customized and sold safaris to countries throughout east and southern Africa. Previously, he had served as Director, Government Relations (and in two other roles) for a small trade association, where he managed the group’s federal legislative and regulatory advocacy for nearly ten years. He also has worked for two energy and environmental consulting firms.

A New Jersey native, Dan is a passionate Bruce Springsteen and New York Giants fan, and wildlife photography enthusiast, and holds a B.A. in Political Science from Brown University.