Speaker Bio's
Thomas Nelson
Thomas M. Nelson is the Outagamie County executive (Appleton–Fox Valley, Wisconsin) and a former Wisconsin Assembly majority leader (2008–2010). His first book, One Day Stronger: How One Union Local Saved a Mill and Changed an Industry—and What It Means for American Manufacturing, is based on his work as an elected official to save a paper mill that had been shut down by a big bank and sold to a scrap dealer. The improbable tale earned him a starred Kirkus Review. Nelson has served in elective office for twenty years and ran for U.S. House of Representatives (2016) and U.S. Senate (2022). His unique political experience yields important insights into his writing. Along with thoroughly researched subjects and effective use of vibrant, engrossing prose, his books are accessible to a wide audience. His forthcoming title is a long-arc narrative of the Green Bay Packers and will be published by Triumph, the nation's leading sports press. He holds a BA from Carleton College (Northfield, MN), an MPA from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and is a History, MA candidate at Indiana University. He resides in Appleton, Wisc. with his wife Maria, two children, Mary and George and four-legged kids, Charley, a terrier-mix, and Barb, a collie.
John Veber
John Veber was certified over 50 years ago and has been actively diving shipwrecks in the Great Lakes all year round ever since. Being a shipwreck photographer since 1976, John has accumulated thousands of shipwreck images which have been published in numerous books, newspaper articles, dive videos and a calendar. John has won a first and second place in past slide show competitions and is a recipient of a Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Photography Promoting Diving in Southern Ontario.
As a past member of the Ontario Marine Heritage Committee, He has worked numerous wreck surveys, and his keen interest maritime history goes hand in hand with shipwreck exploration. Years of underwater photography and ice diving experience led John to participate in a Government funded dive expedition in the Arctic Ocean.
Dan Knauss
Dan began diving in 1990 at La Jolla Shores while stationed with the U.S. Navy in San Diego. He went on to graduate from the Navy’s 2nd Class Deep Sea Diver School in 1992 and served six years as a Navy diver before transitioning to a full-time recreational SCUBA instructor. Over the past 34 years, he’s worked across the globe—from ship salvage to retail, boat diving to classroom training—and has taught SCUBA professionally for 28 of them.
Now based in Bowling Green, Ohio, Dan is a PADI Course Director, EFR Instructor Trainer, Public Safety Diver Instructor, PSI-PCI Inspector Trainer, TEDx speaker, cartoonist, Toastmaster, and proud husband and dog dad. He says the best part of the job is still “watching someone experience the underwater world for the first time—it never gets old.”
Chris Roxburgh
Chris Roxburgh, a renowned underwater photographer and author, has gained widespread recognition for his exceptional work photographing shipwrecks in the Great Lakes region. His remarkable photography and environmental efforts have been featured on local and national news platforms multiple times. He is the author of the highly acclaimed hardcover nonfiction book “Leelanau Underwater”. Chris’s impressive work has been featured in several prominent publications, including the History Channel, Outside magazine, and The Smithsonian, among others, as he continues to document shipwrecks throughout the Great Lakes region. In addition to his artistic accomplishments, he is actively working to raise awareness about the growing problem of plastics pollution in the Great Lakes, and he is a passionate advocate for preserving and protecting the shipwrecks of the Great Lakes.
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Michael Passwater
Bio Coming Soon
Ohio Council of Skin and SCUBA Divers (OCSSDI) & Maritime Archaeological Survey Team (MAST)
The Ohio Council of Skin and SCUBA Divers unites dive clubs across the state, promoting safe diving, environmental stewardship, and support for marine education.
The Maritime Archaeological Survey Team trains volunteer divers in documenting Ohio’s shipwrecks and submerged history, preserving these resources for research and public awareness.
Together, OCSSDI and MAST represent the spirit and legacy of Great Lakes diving—where community meets conservation.
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