My career in the automotive industry had its start in the mid-90's when I tinkered with cars after school with my friends. Huddled around the engine bays of our own cars, in one of our dad's garages, sometimes for practical tasks, other times up to no good at all. When I was a senior in tech school, I took a co-op job at a local shop that essentially brought all of what I had learned up to that point in time together for some excellent real-world experience in the field. From that point on, I always worked in some sort of shop environment no matter what my current position was. 

During my career post-college, I wore many hats and gained a wide array of knowledge and experience due to my propensity to move from business to business. While not so conducive to a steady career, this variety of experience helped me grow as a person and helped me persevere in some unfamiliar situations. One of those situations is the one I'm currently in: teaching.

One of the attributes that my students openly praise me for is my knowledge and experience that transcends just the realm of Ford Motor Company. I try to impart as much general as well as Ford-specific knowledge as I can, insisting that "you never know where life will take you." It's also this variety of experience that allows me to offer ideas that may not be apparent in a strict, manufacturer-specific setting.

Another real advantage for my students is the background I possess in both management and ownership of a business. I can and do offer different perspectives when explaining how our industry operates as a whole and help them understand some of the decisions that are made that will directly and indirectly affect them through the course of their career. This gives them an advantage that I wish I would have had more of when I was in their shoes.

My experience as a volunteer ice and roller hockey coach for the better part of the past 10 years has been an immense benefit for myself as well as my students due to the way it has tempered me as a person and prepared me for teaching: how to be positive, how to use encouragement, and all-in-all how to be compassionate and accepting. I believe my career as a teacher arrived at the perfect time in my life because I truly believe I lacked the patience and understanding to properly manage a class and successfully impart the lessons like I do now just a few short years before I started.

Starting in the fall of 2022, I accepted the commission of Department Chair for the automotive department. I’ve learned much about inner workings of the college, and also how we can better serve our students by the efficient use of resources. I see this position as not only an opportunity but also a great responsibility, one which I don’t take lightly.

This most recent academic year, 2024, I was again chosen to lead the automotive department in the role of Department Chair. At present, I am working on renewing our external accreditation through the ASE Education Foundation. Afterwards, I will be participating in program review. These experiences are serving to make me much more knowledgeable and a better asset to the department, as well as the college.

Attached is also a "Meet the Faculty" article that was published on me in the not-too-distant past.