I was born in Iowa. Our family moved to California when I was nine. I returned to worked on my grandfather's farm in Iowa every summer until I turned 16. My first job was shining shoes outside of a local barbershop. I was later a box boy at a local grocery store and worked at Disneyland my last years of high school. School, athletics, and Boy Scouts rounded out my extracurricular time. I had wanted to fly since I was three and at a young age decided I wanted to go the U.S.

Air Force Academy to achieve that dream. I have flown numerous aircraft, served diplomatic assignments in Latin America and Europe, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years of service. My education includes a Bachelor of Science, two master's degrees and a PhD. I consider myself a lifelong learner. I have enjoyed a second career in business, academics, and as a writer. My journey has spanned the globe-75 countries and counting, where I have had growing opportunities to work with leaders of nations and captains of industry. I have served as the CEO of several companies, a leader of an Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies in the United States two years in a row, a Director of both for profit and non-profit enterprise boards, and as a university professor.

Besides flying, my other life-long dream was to own a bookstore and write books in an upstairs apartment. I don't own a bookstore but my library could pass as one. I am the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction books, academic and short commercial publications. I have worked hard on writing the Great American Novel over the years and other works take place in Latin America, the Middle East, Europe and Asia, and yet another a compilation of six novellas of varying genres and locations. I have also published several poetry collections. I am the father of 6 children and grandfather of 10. My wife Vicky and I presently live in the foothills of the California Sierras just outside Yosemite National Park.