Capt. Michael R. Ange, Ph.D.
Mediator. Consultant. Advisor.
Michael Ange began his professional life not in a boardroom or a classroom but in a tobacco field at age 12, then in uniform — first as an Military Police Officer, then as a law enforcement officer and criminal investigator trained by the U.S. Military, the FBI Academy for Police Officers, and the North Carolina Justice Academy. That foundation — the discipline of investigation, the necessity of getting facts right, and the understanding that consequential decisions require consequential preparation — has informed everything that followed.
The transition forced by injuries/illness from Gulf War 1 out of law enforcement and into the maritime and diving world launched the next phase a professional life that would span four decades, six continents, and some of the most demanding operational environments in the industry. He was the founding member of ERDI — Emergency Response Diving International — and served as its first International Training Director. He took training programs that he had developed regionally and transitioned them to a global audience under the umbrella of an international training agency, making them the global standard for public safety divers. He also served as the international training director for SCUBA School International’s TXR (technical diving) division served on the global training and safety boards of SSI TXR(chair) and TDI/SDI. He was the Diving Safety Officer and a faculty member with Texas A&M University’s scientific diver program, one of the largest in the world. He has logged over 6,000 dives across four continents without a major incident.
In parallel, his corporate leadership track took him to the executive level at some of the most recognized names in the international diving equipment industry. He ran the North and South American Diving Equipment divisions of Draeger — the noted German blue-chip industrial, medical and dive equipment company — and Waterproof Diving International. He served as a Global Brand Manager and a Global Training Director for organizations operating across multiple continents. He has facilitated the successful entry of international companies into North American markets and introduced products from around the world to new audiences. At every level — owner-operator to continental division CEO to global brand and standards management — he has made the kinds of decisions that don’t come with a manual and lived with the consequences either way.
Through all of it he was also building an academic record. He earned a Ph.D. in educational psychology (adult) in the United Kingdom, with research focused on curriculum development and improving survival outcomes in critical incidents. He is a McGraw-Hill published author — Diver Down — and authored the TDI Advanced Wreck Diving textbook and multiple agency training manuals published in 12 languages. He contributed to the development of NFPA 1009 and 1670 standards and provided testimony before Congress and to Presidential advisory panels on the health and social effects of Gulf War service, contributing to the legislative recognition of Gulf War Illness — a condition he has carried since returning from the Gulf.
In 2023 he sustained 18 broken bones — including several thoracic vertebrae and a dislocated shoulder — when he was thrown and trampled by a 1,200-pound thoroughbred with an undiagnosed neurological condition. He walked to the fence, reset his own shoulder, went inside, had a beer, took a shower, and told his wife they should probably go to the emergency room. His blood pressure bottomed to 35 over 10 in the VA ER. He never lost consciousness, instead he worked a checklist informing the somewhat taken aback ER Doc. Less than 12 hours later he was in surgery in a class 1 trauma center — two titanium rods securing his spine from T2 to T9. The morning after surgery he lapped the entire bed tower and 3 months later he was back on horseback. He is fully active today.
Today Capt. Ange is certified as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator — County and conducts mediations both independently and under contract to Florida Judicial Districts. He consults and coaches a limited number of clients in the maritime, watersports, and professional sectors. He holds a USCG Merchant Marine Master License, serves as a Master Aerospace Educator, Senior Emergency Services Officer and Squadron Commander with the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary / Civil Air Patrol where he is also SAR Air Crew, and maintains active NRA certified personal defense instructor credentials. He is based in North Central Florida.
He has spent a career moving into difficult situations and finding a way through. That is what Open Paths Global is for.
For expert witness and forensic consulting services, please visit mikeange.net. For dive instruction and travel, please visit seaduction.com.