My educational path started at a two-year junior college. I then transferred to a four-year school to complete a degree in English. Later, I earned a master's degree in English from the University of Iowa and a doctorate from Iowa State University in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies.

I taught fulltime for eight years before becoming an administrator. I started teaching at Truman State University in Missouri. At Indian Hills Community College in Iowa I served in a number of administrative posts including: Department Chair, Dean, and Executive Dean. My next role was as Director of Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Ten years ago, I started working at St. Petersburg College.

My wife and I have five two-legged children and three four-legged children. We are active in Gulf Coast Greyhound Rescue, and the four-legged kids (Jeti, Wyatt, and Paco) are rescued greyhounds.

I believe in community colleges. All of my children have attended a community college. Three are community college graduates. Two of them graduated from the Clearwater campus.

After working in higher education for many years, I am convinced that all of us are endowed with an amazing mental capacity. Anyone can succeed or excel in college if they are willing to work at it. For those with strong academic backgrounds, there are some courses that are easier, but with persistence, anyone can be successful.