His name will be familiar to many in the industry as he has been a part of the Check Point community for some time, having helped the company develop their training programs and manuals.

Dan describes his entry into the world of training as ‘an accident. After his Associate Degree, he originally thought that he would become a programmer, but discovered that the world of networking suited him better. His approach of explaining why something had broken, rather than simply fixing it, soon brought him to the attention of the Head of Training for his then-employer. He was quickly offered a role as an instructor and he has been passionate about training ever since.

‘That guy who explains what and why

Being ‘that guy” who not only explains what but why Dan has a talent for making dry information absorbable. He refers to himself as being part of that ‘weird subset’ of skilled technical specialists that also loves to interact with people. Dan says he prefers training in a face-to-face environment where he is more able to gauge the reactions and level of comprehension of his students than online, although he appreciates being able to work from home in the environment he loves.

What the students say

“Daniel makes other instructors I have trained with seem like kindergarten teachers.”

“The best training I have taken in years.”

“Daniel kept the perfect pace and kept the information interesting.  An excellent class.”

Highlights of Dan’s qualifications and certifications

• Certified to Teach Check point CCSA, CCSE, CCSM, Multi Domain and VSX
• Certified to Teach Palo Alto 210, 214, 220, 260 and 330
• Associate Degree in Networking Systems Administration, DeVry University
• Palo Alto PCNSE (2020)
• Check Point Certified Expert R80x (2020) Check Point
• Component Level Troubleshooting/Repair (1996) USMC
• Secure Communications (1992) USMC
• Aviation Electronics (1991) USMC
• Navy Achievement Medal for coordinating training for 1,000 plus Marines

Mayor Dan

Dan says that he lives by three rules: Don’t lie, don’t cheat, and don’t be a jerk to people for no reason. He has made a village 40 miles or so outside of Kansas City his home. He built his house there himself and has even become the Mayor of the village. He prefers the open spaces of country living, has always loved being outdoors, whether fishing, camping or simply working in the yard. He enjoys being able to provide an outdoor lifestyle for his children and spending time building bonfires, hunting, and fishing with them.