Dana grew up in Island Pond, worked a variety of jobs, mostly in New England, then made his way back to the NEK. He graduated from UVM with a teaching degree and taught high school math for two years.
From there he tried sales, selling door-to-door in Burlington and time-share condos in Stowe. Continuing in sales he made his way to Portland, ME, working for Eastern Security Systems, a burglar and fire alarm company serving high end residential and commercial accounts. He designed security systems in multi-million dollar homes in Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth and Cumberland, including for the parents of actor Judd Nelson.
He decided to further his education, attending the University of Southern Maine, and earning a degree in accounting, which led to a 30-year career as a CPA. While taking classes he managed a 32-unit condominium complex. He began in a small public accounting firm. Then, in the late 90’s he transitioned to private industry. That brought him to the Hanover/Lebanon area for a short stint as assistant controller at Wagner Forest Management. Soon thereafter, he accepted a Controller position at Applied Bolting Technology, a niche manufacturing company in Bellows Falls, where he worked for more than 20 years. With ABT being a small company, he was also the HR manager and set up their 401k plan. It was a great gig. He retired in 2024.
He is an avid hiker, having climbed NH’s 4,000’ers, hiked the Long Trail, and summited Mt Rainier with his niece. He enjoys rowing on Lake Seymour. And xc skiing. He lives with Archie, his adventurous cat. He has been a long-time donor and has long admired the great work that NorthWoods performs throughout New England and looks forward to contributing to their success.