Last Updated:08/30/2004

     I was born and raised in Bloomfield, Missouri and moved to Ankeny in 1957 with my parents and younger brother.  After graduating from Ankeny High School and attending Grand View College and Iowa State University, I started a 14 year career with the Ankeny Fire Department.  Six years later, I became the department’s first career Fire Captain and six years after that, the first career Assistant Fire Chief.  I have worked as a draftsman for Pittsburgh Des Moines Steel, and as a Safety Coordinator and a Risk Manager for the Weitz Corporation.  Just prior to teaching at DMACC, I was a Program Coordinator of fire service training for the Fire Service Institute at Iowa State University.  I was privileged to be one of the first two graduates of the Fire Science Program at DMACC in 1978.  I later earned a BA in Management from Simpson College.

     I married my high school sweetheart Ellen “Thomas” in 1965 and we have two married children.  My interests away from work are fly fishing, playing pool and golf, and collecting golf and Chicago Bears memorabilia.

     My professional goals as chair of the Fire Science Program are to improve the quality of the curriculum and expand course delivery options via the Web.