Teal grew up in a far away land called Mississippi where there were no snow capped mountains and cool emerald seas. He soon remedied this problem by moving to Seattle to pursue a degree in Biology from the University of Washington. After graduating he held positions studying the regeneration of pacific northwest flora on managed timberland, fisheries management and aquaculture in Alaska, and a smattering of other field jobs before finding a home at Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2006 studying the effects of riparian timber harvest on the physical and biological components of headwater streams. Teal's first involvement with SNVB was the 2007 annual meeting in Victoria and he has presented several posters since. As a newly elected trustee in 2009 he hopes to help the ongoing growth and advancement of SNVB.