Dana began working for NHLA as Chief Inspector in September 2010. He is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the NHLA grading rules by supervising the Association’s field staff of 7 full-time inspectors and is the Dean of the Inspector Training School. Dana is a native of West Virginia where he was born into the lumber industry – his father had graduated from NHLA Inspection School in 1962.

He started his career by working at their family-owned sawmill and later graduated from NHLA Inspector Training School in the spring of 1986. He worked independently as a lumber inspector for several sawmill and lumberyards in the areas surrounding Elkins, WV. Dana was also employed by Colonial Millworks, Ltd. for five years as a production supervisor and spent the next nine years working for Coastal Lumber Company as Quality Control Manager.

He is a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Leadership Training Course.