A graduate of the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut Ed has been involved in the media affairs, pollution response, environmental safety and contingency planning for over 15 years. As the public information officer for the Coast Guard's 17th District he set up the federal Joint Information Center during the emergency phase of the Exxon Valdez spill response. Later, Ed was assigned to that Marine Safety Office where he helped develop and implement changes to emergency response operations. After leaving the Coast Guard he worked for the Department of Interior in Glenallen, Alaska and established the safety and training program for the district's volunteers working in remote locations. He currently serves as the Emergency Services Supervisor for a large oil company operating on the North Slope of Alaska. In his present role he has oversight of the fire departments, oil spill response teams and the incident management teams.