Don began service in 1969 as a Parole & Probation Agent. He rose through the ranks, becoming Manager of Staff Development and Training of the State Division of Parole & Probation in 1979. He began his training career as a consultant trainer when the Maryland Correctional Training Academy was formed in 1972. As a Trainer, Don was one of the original writers of the Correctional Academy curriculum for Corrections and Parole & Probation.

In 1981, he was appointed Assistant Director for Education and Training for the Police and Correctional Training Commissions rising to the rank of Deputy Director in 1988. In 1993, he was appointed Executive Director by the Commissions with the approval of the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

As Executive Director, Don is very active in establishing continuing partnerships with Associations and Agencies throughout the criminal justice system in Maryland. He is Chairman of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association's "Training Committee", Chairman of the Maryland Correctional Administrators "Training Committee", and Co-Chairman of the Maryland Sheriffs' Association "Training Committee", as well as serving on the Executive Boards of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association, the Maryland Sheriffs' Association and the Maryland Correctional Administrators Association.

Don is a Past President of the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST). Other international organizations with which Don is active are the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Sheriffs' Association. In 1999, Don was appointed to serve as a member of the National Sheriffs' Association's "Standards/Ethics, Education and Training" Committee. He is a Founding Member and Executive Board member of the Police Association for College Education.

Don has a BA degree in Education and a MA in Psychology.
He is a lifelong resident of the State of Maryland. He is married and has two children.