About Me

About Me

I am a straight white upper middle class male. I am the least disenfranchised class in society. My volunteer service defines me. Working with young people gives me perspective and empathy for those that are facing uphill battles in their lives. A big part of my life was spent trying to define what a livable community really looks and feels like both in and outside of a car.

I served as Big Brother through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee as a community based mentor, twice. Siante B was my first, matched when he was 9 and he's in his late 20's. David R was 12 when we were matched and is now in his late teens. I still keep up with both of them regularly! Fund raised sponsoring tables at their annual breakfast.  I believe in young people, I believe in giving struggling families the opportunity to succeed.

I was the founding president of a statewide 501(c)3 nonprofit organization Bike Walk Tennessee. As a volunteer I worked with all levels of state, MPO, county and city governments. I lobbied Congress to advocate for safer streets for people outside their cars. Much of this time was thought leadership on what a healthy thriving community looks like. Density is good when it's in the right place, with safe connectivity from neighborhoods to schools, shopping, parks, places of worship, and to visit friends in adjoining neighborhoods. Being outside of your car gives you the opportunity to meet neighbors and really pay attention to your surroundings while getting some exercise.

I was an original volunteer with my wife immediately after the opening of the Rutherford County Isaiah House 117, an organization that provides a place for youth that have been pulled from their family home, awaiting foster or other services. This is a humbling experience to work with these kids, who prior spent these terrible times sleeping under cubicles in DCS offices awaiting a foster home.

Interesting things about me!

• I am married to my wife Teresa. We moved to Burleson Lane in 2016 seeking a place for my dogs to run, and space to build a workshop for working on cars, metal fabrication and other tinkering. We currently have a tripawd German Shepherd Dog, two cats and a koi pond full of fish. We are avid gardeners, boaters and campers. 
• I was born in Fort Walton Beach Florida. My father was an engineer and an early computer scientist at Eglin Air Force Base.  My mother was an artist and the founder of a nonprofit professional ballet company Northwest Florida Ballet Association. Many weekends were spent with my dad building scenery, managing volunteers, or producing shows as a volunteer. 
• I currently work for a large healthcare corporation for 28 years in IT roles, traveling around the country, navigating a huge organization structure, leading a variety of teams to meet big challenges, project management, very large budgets and most recently a focus on Information Security. 
• We completed America’s Great Loop on our diesel trawler boat in 2023/24 season, spending 11 months aboard our boat traveling 6300 miles around the eastern United States, Canada, the Great Lakes and the inland rivers. Every day was a new adventure full of challenges to overcome. Still married!
• Back in my heavy cycling days, I rode 15 years in a row to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. I also rode many weeks on my tandem bicycle with kids from the Tennessee School for the Blind.
• Volunteered with a variety of nonprofits, including Isaiah House 117, homeless shelters and other nonprofits.
• Interests in outdoors - sailing, gardening, camping, biking, hiking, metalwork, astronomy and tinkering. Learned about water quality through an interest in fly fishing and canoeing.