Mark has been diving since the early 1980’s all over the world with his favorite locations the Red Sea and South Pacific. Mark is retired from the U.S. Army and United Parcel Service. Besides being the previous owner of MidWest School of Diving, and Adjunct Instructor for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA)

Member of the Board of Directors, subcommittee on Retailer Engagement

SCUBA Certifications

 PADI (Proffesional Association of Diving Instructors) Certifications

• Master Instructor
• Specialties certified to teach: Emergency First Response, Emergency Oxygen Provider, Public Safety Diver, Digital Underwater Photography, Enriched Air, Ice, Full Face Mask, Public Safety Support Specialist, Equipment Specialist, Underwater Diver Propulsion Vehicle, Drift, Underwater Navigator, Altitude, Dry Suit, Search and Recovery, Care for Children w/AED, Boat, Deep, Underwater Photography, Night Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Wreck, Project Aware, Sidemount and AWARE Coral Reef Conservation Specialist Instructor

PADI Elite Instructor Award; 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

PADI Instructor Challenge Award:  2016

• PADI Outstanding Community Service Award:  2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
• SDI (Scuba Diving International) Certifications

• Open Water Instructor
• Specialties certified to teach: Advanced Buoyancy, Altitude Diver, Boat Diving, Computer Diver, Computer Nitrox, CPR1st, CPROX, CPROX1st AED, Deep Diving, Drift Diving, Diver Propulsion Vehicle, Dry Suit Diving, Equipment Specialist, Ice Diving, Marine EcoSystems Awareness, Night-Limited Visibility Diving, Search and Recovery Diving, Shore and Beach Diving, Solo Diving, U/W Hunter and Collecting, Underwater Navigation Diving, Underwater Photography, Wreck, Underwater Digital Photography, Visual Inspection Procedures, SDI Full Face Mask and Scubability.

TDI (Technical Diving International) Certifications

Instructor

Nitrox

 
PSS (Professional Scuba Schools) Certifications
 

• Instructor Trainer Staff Instructor
• Specialites certified to teach: Open Water Scuba, Advance Open Water, Dive Master, Assistant Instructor, Peak Buoyancy, Altitude Diver, Boat Diver, Drift Diver, Scooter/Diver Propulsion Vehicle, Dry Suit Diving, Equipment Specialist, Ice Diving, Night Diving, Search and Salvage Diving, Underwater Navigation Diving, Underwater Photography, Wreck Diving, Underwater Digital Photography Diving, Emergency and Nitrox Diving.

RAID (Rebreather Association of International Divers) Certifications

• Master Instructor
• Specialties Certified to Teach: Search and Recovery, RAIDaptive, RAID First Aid, Equipment Instructor, Oxygen Administration, Night and limited Visibility Diving, Ice Diving, Wreck Diving, Advanced Wreck Diving, Deep 40 Diving, Nitrox Diving, Boat Diving, Ecological Diving, Open Water 20, Explorer 30, Advance 35, Try Scuba Diving, Drysuit Diving, Dive Master Instructor.
• ERDI (Emergency Response Diving International - Public Safety Diving) Certifications

    Instructor

• Specialties certified to teach: ERDI Diver I and II, ERD Drysuit Ops Instructor, Tender Operations Instructor, ERD Supervisor Instructor, ERD Ice Surface Rescue Instructor, ERD Full Face Mask Instructor, ERD Contaminated Water Operations Instructor, ERD Ice Diving Ops Instructor, ERD Helicopter Landing Zone Technician Instructor, ERD U/W Crime Scene Investigator Instructor, and ERD U/W Threat Assessment Instructor, ERD Media Awareness-Communication, ERD OSHA Requirements as they pertain to Public Safety Dive Teams. Additional Classes under Emergency Response:, Operating Public Safety Diving Operations in a NBC(Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) environment.
• Diver Alert Network (DAN)

       Instructor Trainer

• Courses certified to teach: Emergency Oxygen for Scuba Diving Injuries Instructor, Neurological Assessment Instructor, Basic Life Support CPR and First Aid Instructor, Diving 1st Aid for professional Divers Instructor, Diving Emergency Management Provider (DEMP) Instructor, CPR for Health Care Providers Instructor, First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries Instructor, Diving Emergency Specialist.
• Handicap Scuba Association

Course Director

Courses certified to teach: Open Water, Advance Open Water,Junior Open Water, Adaptive Snorkeler, Specialty Diver, Leadership Course, Assistant Instructor Course, Dive Buddy Course, Dive Master Course and HSA Instructor courses.

Professional Scuba Inspector-Professional Cylinder Inspector (PSI-PCI)

• Instructor
• Courses certified to teach: Visual Cylinder Inspector (VCI), Value Repair Technician, Oxygen Cylinder Cleaning technician, Cylinder Hazmat-Fill Station Operations, Composite Cylinder Repair

Safety Certifications
OSHA

• General Industry Outreach Instructor
• Courses approved to teach: Hazardous Material Instructor, Record Keeping Instructor, Accident Investigation Instructor, Respiratory Protection Instructor, Ergonomics Instructor, Confined Space Instructor, Evacuation and Emergency Planning Instructor, Lockout-Tag out Instructor, Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Instructor, and Health Hazards Instructor.

Adjunct Professor

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Adjunct Professor; approved to teach Homeland Security, Safety and Logistic Management courses; Homeland Security – Intelligence Operations, Aviation – Safety, Logistics – Management, Operations and Principles.

First Aid – CPR – AED Training
American Red Cross

• Instructor
• Courses approved to teach: CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuers and Health Care Providers, CPR/AED for Lifeguards, Bloodborne Pathogen Training: Preventing Disease Transmission, First Aid/CPR/AED for the Workplace, First Aid/CPR/AED for Schools and the Community, First Aid - Responding to Emergencies, Sports Safety Training, Wilderness First Aid

Emergency First Response

• Instructor
• Courses approved to teach: Emergency First Response Primary Care (CPR), Secondary Care (First Aid), Care for Children courses

National Safety Council

• Instructor
• Courses approved to teach: NSC First Aid, CPR & AED, NSC Pediatric First Aid, CPR & AED

Federal Emergency Management Agency

• Courses able to teach: FEMA - Emergency Management Institute, Emergency Preparedness, Radiological Emergency Management, Emergency Planning, Special Events Contingency Planning, Community Emergency Response Teams

American Heart Association

• Instructor
• Courses approved to teach: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers, Heartsaver® First Aid/CPR/AED, Heartsaver® CPR in Schools, Family & Friends® CPR

Additional SCUBA Certifications

PSI-PCI

• Cylinder Visual Inspection Inspector, Eddy Current Technician

Service Repair Technician Certifications

• Zeagle Repair Technician
• Atomic Repair Technician
• American Underwater Products Repair Technician (Hollis, Aeris and Oceanic)
• OTS Certified Full Face Mask Repair Technician
• Mares repair Technician

Education

• Bachelor - University of Minnesota, Business
• Masters - MBA, Supply Chain Management, Strayer University
• Doctorate - DBA, International Business, Northcentral University

Additional non-Scuba Certifications - Associations

• FAA, Commercial-Instrument, Rotary wing, Multi-Engine Land, Single-Engine Sea/Land
• United States Parachute Association, skydiving-free fall certification
• Villanova University - Six Sigma Green-Belt
• Villanova University - Lean Sigma
• National Association of Safety Professionals - Certified Safety Manager (CSM)
• National Association of Safety Professionals - Certified Safety Trainer (CST)
• National Association of Safety Professionals - Certified Safety Auditor (CSA)
• Boy Scouts of America, Merit Badge Counselor; SCUBA and First Aid
• Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Scout Association
• U.S. Army Water Survival Instructor
• Golden Key – International Academic Honor Society (Doctorate)