Ed graduated from West Point with a BS degree and also has an MS degree in Operations Research/Systems Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School. He was commissioned an Armor Officer and is a Ranger and a Paratrooper.

In 32 years of service in the Army, he commanded a tank company, a tank battalion, a mechanized infantry brigade, an armored division, and the Army’s National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA, served two tours in Vietnam, and taught engineering at West Point. He conclude his military service with two national security policy assignments - - Chief of Staff of the U.S. European Command and then Director of Strategic Plans and Policy for the Joint Staff in the Pentagon. Ed retired from the Army as a Lieutenant General.

A subsequent business career spanned more than 20 years, most of which was spent as President and CEO of American Wood Fibers, a national wood waste management company that manufactures consumer and industrial products at 10 locations across the country.

Ed and his wife, Karen, also have a home in Baltimore. They have been members of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs for many years and Ed currently serves on the Board and Executive Committee.