Excited about the study of geology as it encompasses all of the sciences, including chemistry, biology, astronomy, physics and even history, David J. Lachance earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Hampshire in 1973 prior to taking on his first professional role as a geologist with the United States Department of the Interior in 1975. First positioned in Metairie, Louisiana, Mr. Lachance relocated to Washington in 1976 while studying toward his master’s degree, serving there as a geologist between 1976 and 1983. Between 1983 until his retirement in 2014, he was a geologist with the U.S. Department of the Interior in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Post-retirement, Mr. Lachance has excelled as a part-time substitute teacher for kindergarten through 12th grade for the Milwaukee Public School System.
A certified petroleum geologist through the American Association of Petroleum Geologists since 1985, Mr. Lachance was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Reserves in 1973, and later on, served as a major in the Gulf War between 1990 and 1991. Early on in his career, he participated in several projects related to the Atlantic continental shelf, and subsequently concentrated his career on the eastern portion of the United States. He and his wife – who is also a geologist – were responsible for discovering that the State of Michigan was not lined with faults, which had proved prior theories related to the same ideology.
Mr. Lachance is also a seasoned and prolific writer, having published his first short stories in 1994: “The Plaza,” “Pleiades” and “Art Forum.” He has also authored two plays, “Pray for Me at Your Own Risk” in 1996 and “The Gift” in 1997, as well as two stage plays, “Faces in the Raft” in 1994 and “An End to War, An End to Peace” in 2012. Notably, “Faces in the Raft” was produced as a screenplay in 1999, which was represented to the Chinese film industry by renowned screenwriter Anton Diether. “An End to War, An End to Peace” is derived from Mr. Lachance’s personal insight of Homer’s “The Odyssey” after he had returned from the Gulf War. Although he desired to have his stage play produced on stage by community theaters, he was often told that his stage play was “too deep” for these actors, and that it needed to be performed by professional theater groups. Since that time, he has sought to have his stage play performed by professionals, noting that he could help several veterans and active military members in their quest for healing.
To attest to his success, Mr. Lachance was highlighted in the 25th and 26th editions of Who’s Who in the Midwest in 1996 and 1998, respectively. Looking forward, he intends to continue writing and publishing his short stories and stage plays.