Roger was raised outside of Philadelphia and went to college at the University of Maine where he earned a B.S. in Forestry and Wood Technology along with an MBA. He worked a few years for a hardwood lumber company in Pennsylvania who supplied boat builders in the Chesapeake Bay area. He then moved back to Maine and into the pulp and paper industry where he has spent 29 years in operations, finance and business process improvement. He has managed manufacturing sites in Nova Scotia and Port Townsend which have made extensive use of the maritime's trades to move raw material and products.

Involvement in nonprofit organizations over his career include local churches, Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, and a small town Planning Board.

Roger and his wife have lived in Port Townsend for two years and he has a son in Maine and a daughter in Charlotte, NC. Outdoor sports include fly fishing, biking and hiking. He has experience with canoes, kayaks, small sailboats and fresh water power boats.