I was born in Kansas City February 20, 1956. I attended St. Teresa Catholic school from Kindergarten through the first half of third grade. We moved north of the river where I attended public school, graduating from Winnetonka a semester early as part of the class of 1974. I spent four years in the United States Navy from January 1974 to February 1978. I began working for Bendix in 1978 and still work for the same employer today, though now the name is Honeywell FM&T. I got an A.A. degree from Longview Community College in 1985 and a B.A. from UMKC in 1987. I have been a member of Plaza Heights Baptist Church since 1994, the same year that my wife Debbie and I were married. We have six children, all adults, four still living in the Kansas City area. Since this is the area where I have a large number of lifelong friends and ties, I intend to finish up my life where I started.