Gene was born and raised in Buffalo, NY and is a 1979 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. As a naval aviator, he served as a combat veteran and F14 fighter pilot in Operation Desert Storm in Iraq in 1991. A lifelong character teacher, he has been a Leadership, Character and Ethics Instructor at The University of Pennsylvania, the U.S. Naval Academy and many military, athletic, cultural and religious organizations. He has coached intercollegiate tennis teams at Navy and SMU, Saint Joseph’s University and The University of Pennsylvania.

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Gene received his B.S. in Chemistry from the U.S. Navy Academy, his Masters of Science in Information Management from George Washington University. While at Navy, Gene captained the 1979 team and received All East honors, and qualified for the NCAA championships.​