Upon returning to Sylva, NC, Nathan unexpectedly found a teaching position in Transylvania County in a combination high school and middle grades education.  He spent ten years as a teacher at Rosman Middle and High School and the next ten years in Jackson County Public Schools at Fairview School and Cullowhee Valley school. Nathan served three years as lead teacher and assistant principal at Fairview School and six years as the principal of Cullowhee Valley School before leaving education to become the Project Manager for 35 Western North Carolina counties in the behavioral health field in August 2011. Nathan returned to education in 2015 in Swain County before returning to serve JCPS in 2017 where he taught at Smoky Mountain High School and fulfilled a childhood dream of coaching high school athletics at his alma mater, cross country and baseball. Nathan greatly enjoyed working with all of the individuals at Smoky Mountain High School and has for the last year been the principal of Blue Ridge Early College. Nathan believes that every day is a blessing to get the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and young adults.

Nathan and his wife Jill have been married for 23 years. They have four children and one grandchild. He enjoys traveling, running, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Nathan enjoys teaching and sharing history and stories, especially those involving family and local history. He also loves watching movies about historical events, visiting historical sites and hopes to write a historical novel.