Gene studied theater and design at Portland State University in the early 1970s, and served as the resident Designer/Technical Director for the Portland Civic Theatre from 1971-72. He received a National Opera Institute grant to work with the Seattle Opera Association on the creation of Richard Wagner's "Ring of Nibelungen". With the completion of "the Ring" in 1975, he returned to Portland and became resident lighting designer for the Portland Opera, and created lighting designs for opera and theatre companies throughout the US and Canada. Gene has been associated with the Portland Rose Festival parade since 1972, working initially for Commercial Displays, Inc. He was a founding partner in Studio Concepts, which was created in 1977, and became sole owner in 1987.