I look forward to my third year at Central VPA. I am teaching chemistry. 

I came to teaching after 23 years in manufacturing, working on different facets of surface finishing. The primary focus of the surface finishing was electroplating, a process that deposits metal onto various surfaces. My work involved products as diverse as tubes for hay balers, shock rods for cars, wires for fuses, hinges for doors, and chrome for school furniture. Clients also worked with wet and dry paint, as well as with many different methods of metalworking and industrial cleaning.

My initial degree is in Chemistry from Knox College in Galesburg, IL. I participated in many on-campus activities, including playing football, singing in the choir, throwing the javelin, and playing the oboe. I earned my M.B.A. from Franklin University in Columbus, OH, with a focus in finance, after short stints at UW Parkside and the Ohio State University. This spring, I earned my Master of Arts in Teaching from Saint Louis University.

I am drawn to chemistry because it is nature's way of solving a puzzle. Chemistry allows us to explain what was once inexplicable. It takes what was once intuitive and makes it readily predictable. It answers the question: Where did that go? It explains: Where did that come from? Understanding chemistry makes people more successful in dozens of professions, including plumbers, chefs, electricians, doctors, and farmers. 

Outside of school, I coach track and cross-country. I have had the great fortune to go to State with over 50 different entries in the last 5 years. On the track in 2024, one athlete won state titles in the Boys' 100M and 200M dashes. Other track athletes have earned medals in the high jump, triple jump, 800M race, 3200M race, 400M dash, and the 4x800, 4x100, and 4x200 relays. Team successes include a girls' district title in 2021, a girls' sectional title in 2023, and girls' second place at districts in 2024 and 2025.

Our cross-country teams have had eight individual MSHSAA State medals. We had third-place team finishes in 2022 and 2024. The girls' team has won three consecutive district titles and gone to state four consecutive years. The boys' cross-country team finished seventh at the MSHSAA State meet in 2022 and twelfth in 2024.

I am the father of two. Andrew is a junior at UMKC majoring in Environmental and Earth Science with a focus in Geology, and River is a senior at Metro and is an avid mountain biker.