Executive Team

Dave brings a deep commitment to student success and decades of experience in educational leadership to his role as Executive Director at Divers Institute of Technology. A proud veteran of the United States military, Dave has dedicated his career to serving students through a mission-driven approach rooted in discipline, accountability, and growth.

With a strong foundation in school leadership, Dave has guided institutions through periods of transformation and growth, focusing on academic quality, operational excellence, and student outcomes. His leadership style emphasizes building strong teams, creating supportive learning environments, and empowering students to achieve their personal and professional goals.

As a veteran himself, Dave is passionate about helping military-affiliated students transition successfully into high-demand careers, and he is proud to lead an institution that plays a vital role in preparing the next generation of commercial divers.

During his distinguished 30-year U.S. Navy career as a Saturation (SAT) diver, John Paul was a member of the Navy’s deepest diving team, reaching a record depth of 1800 feet at the Navy Experimental Diving Unit in Panama City, Florida. He participated in several major diving and salvage projects and commanded one of the Navy’s largest diving and salvage ships, the USS Edenton (ATS-1). While in command, the USS Edenton conducted the first efforts towards salvaging pieces of the Civil War Ironclad USS Monitor. Additionally, he completed several assignments involving research, development, testing and evaluation of new diving equipment and systems. John Paul’s educational experience includes teaching navigation, ship handling and composite warfare concepts at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He is a retired Navy commander with command at sea and ashore. He has served as director of Divers Institute of Technology since 2000.

Advice to Potential DIT Students and Alumni

“This is a job; you have to work at it. Pursue it as a career. If you do that, this career will allow you to do anything you want, but you have to work at it.”

Divers Institute of Technology is excited to provide an important update regarding a planned change in ownership.

We are pleased to announce that Mr. Donald D. Moore, Jr., will be acquiring full ownership of D.I.T., LLC., which owns and controls Divers. Mr. Moore is a certified diver, a United States Navy veteran, and the owner of another successful accredited diving institution located in Alvarado, Texas. Mr. Moore has a long history with Divers’ longstanding owner Bruce Banks. Mr. Banks was Mr. Moore’s commanding officer at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in 1982 when Mr. Moore went to 1st Class Diving School, and they always stayed in touch over the years. Mr. Moore is committed to providing a quality educational system to prepare students to gain certification and gain employment within the field of commercial diving.

The transaction is expected to be finalized on or after June 1, 2026. This timeline is, of course, contingent upon completing the necessary approval processes with Divers’ regulatory agencies, including the Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the United States Department of Education.

As we look forward to the future, we are excited and optimistic about the new opportunities and advancements that Mr. Moore’s ownership will bring.

Dave Ruggieri, Executive Director
Divers Institute of Technology

2/26/2026