Tom was born and raised in Northwestern Illinois. He earned a BA in Training & Development from Almeda University and worked in Manufacturing Engineering for 14 years. In 1996, Tom moved to Costa Rica where he and his wife Ana have two children, Johan and Maggie.

Before NSA, Tom’s adventurous and athletic personality has lead him to guide tours (via foot, bike, car, kayak, and boat) in interesting Costa Rican places such as the rainforest and the Pacific Ocean. Tom also worked for the Academy at Swift River’s Costa Rican program for 4 years. Tom is an avid mountain biker and raced as a NORBA expert for 8 years. He brings this love of mountain biking as he leads the mountain biking club at NSA. Tom’s strengths lie in his athletic pursuits, his organizational abilities, his love of the Costa Rican culture, and his detail-oriented risk management skills.