I was born and raised in Kokomo, IN, and attended undergraduate school at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN, with an Army ROTC 4-yr scholarship, graduating with a BS in Business Administration. I served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1991-2001 and spent the better part of the last 15 years of my civilian career in banking and finance, primarily with community banks, accumulating a wealth of experience in branch management, financial analysis and commercial lending.

My focus has generally been in helping organizations make innovative and enduring improvements to overall performance with a particular emphasis on relationship building and a knack for translating complex information into clearly understandable language and a big picture view. In 2011, after being named a Presidential Management Fellow, I accepted an appointment with the Department of the Navy, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV), as a Program Analyst.

I completed a Master of Science in Information Technology through the Florida Institute of Technology in 2009 and a Master of Arts in Diplomacy through Norwich University in 2011. My emphasis at Norwich was in Conflict Resolution and Post-Conflict Reconstruction. I am currently one third of the way through a third masters in National Security Studies through American Military University with a concentration in Regional Security Studies. 

In my spare time, I enjoy beach-time, reading, running, outdoor activities, my local church, and hanging out with the family. I definitely love coffee and baseball as well. The love of my life is my wife of 19 years, Gina, and I have four children - two boys (ages 8 and 4), and two girls (ages 17 and 14), and our nine-year-old collie, Shadow. 

I became a Christian as a sophomore at the University of Tennesse in 1988, and my life was forever changed. The men I count as my most important mentors and teachers throughout my Christian walk over the past 25 years include Bob Weiner, Mike Bickle and the late Dr. Greg Bhansen.  I enjoy learning about the many facets of Christianity and the application of the theistic Christian worldview to everyday issues and geopolitical challenges.