Member since: January 01, 2014

In 1976 I entered this world into an immediate state of confusion related to my personal identity, having been the fourth consecutive male in the Curtis line given the name Andrew.

From that point on I moved forward in any manner to establish my individuality. Most noticeably by collecting every star wars action figure from the Empire Strikes Back®, keeping at one point 140 different live reptile and amphibian specimens in my mothers basement, and the odd practice of studying multiple printing editions of the Petersons Field Guide series while using the bathroom. The last of which is perhaps one of my greatest feats having suffered from various gastro-intestinal maladies for most of my life.

After struggling through most of High School, with the exception of my senior year at which time I decided to apply myself making honor roll due to having more time to study while serving “in---school suspensions.”

Later I found myself, while studying at what is formerly known as the Allentown College of St. Francis DeSales and receiving a Bachelor’s in Environmental Sciences. Graduating at the head of my class in the Environmental Sciences program in the year 2000, being the first graduating senior in that program of study.

Following graduation I accepted a position as a Program Assistant to a former EPA Manager and Deputy Secretary of the Department of Conservation of Natural Resources during the first Ridge Administration in the Pennsylvania Office of The Conservation Fund, a 501©3 non-profit which conserved open spaces through the establishment of Conservation Easements and Fee Simple Purchases of land. At the time I despised the politics of the situation and realize now that it was one of the greatest worst experiences of my life.

Fleeing Harrisburg I found myself employed by the Penn State University as an Extension Agent. Here I developed and delivered programming related to Community and Economic Development, Natural Resource Management, and Agricultural topics for the next 6 years. Having the experience of my year in Harrisburg I saw the writing on the wall, when state and federal budget issues started to become a buzzword. I started to look for something else, which I found after an argument with a senior citizen in a bar.

This senior citizen happened to be the owner of one of the largest family owned contracting, demolition and construction materials Companies in Eastern Pennsylvania. Three weeks after the hangover subsided, and four weeks after the argument I accepted the position that I have held for the past nine years, Environmental Manager for the H&K Group®.

I have served formerly as the Conservation Education Committee Chairperson of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsman’s Clubs, Vice Chair of the Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation, and Secretary of the Lehigh Valley Herpetological Society.