By the time he was four, Jon was digging fossils from Calvert Cliffs along Chesapeake Bay, unearthing fossil shark teeth from the famous Miocene sediments. His parents encouraged his passions as he was raised in the family rock and gem business. Jon is a graduate of the University of Maryland, where he founded the Geology Club and led field trips across the US in search of fossils. As an intern at the Vertebrate Paleontology Lab at the Smithsonian Institution, Jon helped prepare and assemble dinosaurs and fossil mammals for display in the exhibit halls. While there he developed relationships with leading paleontologists around the world and with many has authored numerous academic papers on a variety of fossil subjects. Jon founded Potomac Museum Group as a natural outgrowth of his museum experience and business background. During its 30-year heyday PMG dug fossils around the world and created traveling educational exhibits which toured North America for two decades. PMG also maintained a dinosaur dig site in Wyoming for nearly ten years starting in the late 1980s. These days Jon continues his paleontological passion, digging fossils and supporting research. Jon and his wife Julie regularly donate specimens to museums, universities, schools, and education groups.