Don spent 34 years with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and RJR Nabisco Inc., serving in various executive positions with both organizations. During the last ten years of his tenure with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Don acted as Vice President of Community Affairs, which allowed him to become involved with numerous local, state and national nonprofit organizations.
In 1999, Don and his wife purchased a home in Crested Butte, moving to the area permanently in 2002. He is a past president of the Crested Butte Center for the Arts and a member of the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley.