Max began his career in the 1980’s working as a commercial real estate researcher in Atlanta, Georgia, which led to his pursing a master's degree in geography at Georgia State University, and later completing his Ph.D.
After completing his doctorate, Max spent a decade teaching at three different universities, most recently as an Associate Professor of GIScience at The University of Redlands in Southern California. Recognizing the broader benefits of promoting the "greater good" he found himself especially drawn to the service aspects of a faculty career and volunteered with a number of professional organizations. In 2009, Max fully embraced this service role, joining the staff of the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) as Director of Academic Programs. Max's position was created to steward the accreditation of collegiate geospatial intelligence programs, administer a robust scholarship program, and develop resources to support geography education at all grade levels. USGIF is working to ensure that the next generation of workers is equipped to meet the challenges the country will face in the decades to come.