Al worked for Deloitte in San Jose, California before joining the tax departments of two multi-billion dollar high-tech companies for six years. His last position before joining the faculty at SOU was International Tax Manager at SGI. After moving to Ashland in 2000, he stayed on at SGI as a part-time telecommuter until September of 2001, when he began teaching at SOU.

His hobbies include baseball, reading, mountain biking, photography, and all things Japan. His favorite job prior to SOU was tour guiding in Japanese to Japanese tourists visiting San Francisco in the early 1990s.

On his sabbatical in Japan, he taught for Waseda University, University of Maryland, University College Asia, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry (in Henan, China), and he was the Resident Director for the Oregon University System (student exchange program between Japanese and Oregon Universities). Al has taught courses in seven different countries.