Galen grew up in Reisterstown, Maryland and attended Franklin High, where his primary passion was playing baseball. Trained as an Electrical Engineer at University of Maryland and Virginia Tech, Chef Galen decided to follow his true passion—the culinary arts—while living in Park City, Utah. He landed a job making salads for Joachim Splichal at the five-star Stein Eriksen Lodge and stayed there for three years, leaving as the Sous Chef Tournant of the well-known Forest Room.

From there, Galen traveled to the Homestead in Virginia, where he was the Chef Garde Manger. Then, to Bermuda and the Sonesta Lodge, where he was the Executive Sous Chef. In 1997, Galen returned home to work at the Harbor Court Hotel, where he soon became Executive Chef. He was at the hotel for ten years, acting as Exec Chef, then Food and Beverage Manager and, for a time, as both. During his tenure at the Harbor Court, the hotel achieved its Five-Star, Five-Diamond rating. Galen was named Chef of the Year in 2005 by the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism; he was also featured as a CNN Hero in 2008 for his work providing culinary training to individuals in transition. He is now living his dream: running and owning his own restaurant and having the opportunity to train others in the profession he loves.