Dan trained as a Naval Corpsman through the Naval School of Health Sciences in Oakland and San Diego, California before serving at Naval Air Stations in both Japan and Washington State. He completed his physician assistant studies at Cuyahoga College and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Oregon Society of Physician Assistants.

Dan and his wife have two boys and a golden retriever. A self-proclaimed family guy, Dan devotes his free time to his children and their activities. He enjoys the great outdoors and rebuilding his old motorcycle.