Phil is a Navy veteran who worked in aviation electronics. After the military he graduated Strayer University in Fredericksburg, VA with a Bachelor's in Computer Information Systems. He served on the Board of Directors of the Coast Defense Study Group (CDSG), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization promoting the preservation efforts of historic coastal fortifications, and sat as Chairman of the Board for one year. While with the CDSG for 12 years he was the Hampton Roads regional representative and played an important role in saving historic Fort Monroe from developers. Phil has also been active in the community volunteering his time with organizations such as Virginia State Parks: First Landing State Park, Virginia Beach Community Emergency Response Team (VBCERT), Skywarn, and has attended Currituck County Sheriff's Dept Citizens Police Academy which provided some learning experiences that can be adapted to paranormal investigation. He currently volunteers as an adult leader of a local Boy Scout troop.

Phil was previously educated in the paranormal by Paranormal Encounters in 2008-09 and helped administer It's Haunted, a now-defunct social media site. Phil also helped a friend restart a group called Orange Paranormal Group in Orange County, and in 2010 helped start Old School Ghost Hunters meetup group in Hampton, which was quickly replaced by Eastern Virginia Ghost Riders meetup group in Norfolk, the predecessor of Tidewater. Tidewater was formally established in 2011 by the majority of the members of EVGR. Phil actively participates in joint investigations with other groups at many out-of-area locations. In November of 2011 he attended the very first session of TAPS Academy (now called TAPS Institute). In March 2013 and August 2014 respectively, he received training in spiritual warfare and demonology from Father Robert "Bob" Bailey at the Praesidium of Warriors of St. Michael Ministry, and Reverend Dave Juliano of Sanctuary Paranormal Ministries. He is also a member of the National Paranormal Society, and was formerly a leading member of the now defunct Virginia Paranormal Assembly, a social media based group of various paranormal team owners.