A native of Toledo, Ohio, Gary earned a B.S. in Education from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio and a D.D.S. from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.  Immediately following dental school he completed a General Practice Residency at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. 

In 1995 he completed the University of Florida Facial Pain Center mini-residency and in 2004 earned the M. S. in Biomedical Sciences degree at The University of Toledo College of Medicine. 

From 1981 through 2003 he and his wife, Dr. Cheryl DeWood maintained a private restorative general family practice in Ohio. Gary served as Clinical Director at The Pankey Institute from 2003 to 2008 before relocating to Seattle and joining Frank Spear as president of The Seattle Institute.  With the creation of Spear Education he relocated to Phoenix and today serves as Executive Vice-President for Curriculum and Clinical Education in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Gary holds or has held appointments as:

Assistant Professor at The University of Toledo College of Medicine

Associate Professor at The University of Tennessee College of Dentistry

Clinical Director at The Pankey Institute

Director of Business Systems at The Pankey Institute

Director of Marketing and Publications at The Pankey Institute

President of The Seattle Institute

Executive VP for Curriculum and Clinical Education of Spear Education

Executive VP Spear Practice Solutions

Adjunct Clinical Professor at Arizona School of Oral and Dental Health