My first career was as an Army officer, serving 23 years all over the world. In 1993 I led a delegation honoring US service personnel killed at a concentration camp in Germany, this was a very moving experience for me as the weather was dark,and cloudy. Participating in Operation Desert Storm, I saw first hand the horror of war. When it was time to go, I knew it was time to go.

Returning to Idaho, I settled in Boise (BOY-SEE) where there were jobs. Initially a defense contractor, I had to do something to renew my soul.

Through my careers (this is number three), I have been drawn to teaching. I also have been drawn to using story to teach life-long lessons. Starting at a senior army staff college, I retired after two years on a university campus as a department head, and worked with seniors to prepare them for careers as army officers.

In 2000 I entered a Catholic School and taught middle-school social studies for six years. We spent a lot of energy concerned about social justice, and used the Holocaust as a lens. I left Catholic Schools to pursue a passion for helping kids connect. Today I am a fifth grade teacher. I use stories, and concerns for justice to reach my kids.

I became a Boise State Writing Project fellow in 2008. Attended a Holocaust Educator Network workshop in Boise in 2010. Was a Belfor Institute attendee in 2011. Work with a goal of never forgetting.

I am a father of 4, and a grandpa of 8. When not in the classroom, I might be found fishing for trout, or gardening.