I’m originally from North Canton, Ohio. My Dad is a retired attorney, and my Mom was a schoolteacher. My sister is a retired ophthalmologist living with her family in eastern Tennessee.
After graduating from Mount Union University, I started my career in commercial radio as an on-air personality, moving later to ad-time sales.
I visited Colorado with a girlfriend in 1981 and fell in love with Colorado. Moving here in 1982, I parlayed my radio experience to find a job at a Golden broadcast software firm. I retired in 2018 after over thirty years in the high technology field, the last 19 years with the Oracle Corporation.
I moved to unincorporated Arapahoe County in 1992, where I currently live in what is now Centennial’s District 4. In 2000, city founders organized a campaign to incorporate a new city - Centennial. Our tax base was being eroded by annexation from several surrounding communities. Creating a new city protected the revenues we need to maintain police, and essential services without a sharp increase in taxes.
My parents taught me from an early age to share and give to charity. That lesson is still a driving force in my life. I helped create and run a weekly computer lab for the kids at the Salvation Army’s Lambuth Family Center. For many years, I recorded textbooks for the blind and dyslexic at Learning Ally.
I help with local Boy Scout troops at Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch. My kayak and I are part of water safety teams for various local triathlons such as the annual Tri-for-the-Cure fundraiser at Cherry Creek Reservoir. I volunteer at Wings Over the Rockies, including the Centennial Airport location called Exploration of Flight, where I run several of the flight simulators.
Volunteering with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office as a Victim Advocate is one of the most challenging things I’ve done and maybe the most rewarding. The 4 AM call to help a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or unexpected death is not easy. You get an up-close picture of what our deputies do every day. And you help someone get through an awful situation.
Hot and healthy meals are important for a good senior lifestyle. It often makes the difference between aging at home or moving to a new facility. I am on the Board of Directors for Nourish - Meals on Wheels helping to provide delicious meals for our seniors.