Hobby: In 2012, my daughter was born with Down syndrome. My wife and I dedicated our lives to increasing public awareness of Down syndrome and raising money for DS research.

How are you raising awareness of this cause? My wife and I began running marathons for DS research. I ran the Marine Corps Marathon and the Chicago Marathon, and I’m currently training to run across our service territory in 2020.

How do you stay motivated? I think about how my daughter survived open-heart surgery when she was five months old. She loves going on runs with me so she can wave at people we pass by.

What other ways have you’ve raised awareness? When we lived in Kansas, we started the Northwest Kansas Down Syndrome Society (NWKDSS), which was the first DS charity in that part of the state.

What kind of events does the group host? We host a run/ walk and golf tournament, which helps to fund a park in Hays, Kansas. The group also makes donations to local schools and provides support to families.

What are you most surprised by since you began this journey? I am surprised by how a small group of people can still make such a big difference.

How did you hear about the job at Sam Houston? I was a summer intern at Midwest Energy, Inc., in Hays, Kansas, and learned about it through the job search portion of Touchstone Energy.

What were you doing before joining the co-op? I was a combat photographer in the United States Marine Corps until I retired in 2014. I deployed a couple times to Iraq, but was fortunate to get stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

Why did you want to work at the co-op? The co-op principles align well with the military. It’s about being a part of something that is bigger than an individual. I grew up in a rural community, and I enjoy working in a rural area. And co-op employees are amazing.

What do you like most about your job? I enjoy being out with line technicians. I also like interviewing new employees for our internal publications and taking photos of our service area.

Education: Bachelor’s in communications from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas.

Something most people may not know about you: I used to hate running, but I’ve learned to love the mind-over-matter mentality and challenge.