I was an awkward kid in high school. Didn't have parents who provided me with goals or direction. Pretty much made my own way in life and consequently made all the classic mistakes rudderless kids make as they go along. I attended SIU after high school.

Even though I gravitated toward like minded peers I didn't drink or do drugs. My draft number during the Viet Nam war was so high (256) that I was never called up. I developed and pursued a passion for photography and was a pro in Chicago from 1975 to 1988.

I've been an athlete (runner, skater, cyclist) all my life and that kept me focused enough to find a place in sport management. I became a competitive cyclist in 1974 and competed locally in IL until 1985 when I became a bicycle race official. In 1985 my technical skills were on par with the best in the U.S. and I was accepted as a mechanic for the 7-Eleven Cycling Team, which won (and I was present for) every major U.S. bicycle race from 85 to 91, we won the 1987 U.S. Pro Championship, thre Tour of Switzerland, we won 3 stages of the 1987 Tour de France and I was on the finish line with Andy Hampsten when he (as the first American) won the 1988 Giro 'd Italia.

In 1987 I was elected to the USA Cycling board of directors serving a 2 year term. From 1999 to 2008 I was the Midwest regional manager for USA Cycling serving 12 states in the upper mid west. From 2008 to 2012 I was the Executive Director of the IN & KY Cycling Association and a senior member of the U.S. competitive cycling establishment.