I'm all about the water and Mexican food.  Born and raised in San Diego, CA, my mother is fond of the story about how I was almost born at the beach after a night of Don Jose's tacos.  Along with surfing and sunning at the beach, I swam and played water polo in high school and college, then coached both sports for 10 years.  In between, I worked at various restaurants including my dad's Mexican restaurant where I had a significant impact on his food costs.

While I was enjoying all of this aquatic activity, kids became a central focus of my life.  I was heading towards a business degree at San Diego State University when my time as a coach inspired my love of working with young people.  I graduated with a degree in History and a minor in English, then went on to a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.  I worked as a summer camp counselor from the age of 16, rising all the way to a camp director for 4th-6th grade boys at Forest Home Christian Conference Center outside Redlands, CA, and then the Program Director at SAMBICA Camp and Conference Center here on the south shore of our own Lake Sammamish.  I met my wife, Barbara, at Forest Home - a summer romance that is now going on 40 years of marriage that includes our being colleagues here at Timberline!  Other work with kids included raising our own three into adulthood and blissful empty-nestedness.  I also served for a time as a family and children's pastor at a local church

And then there is teaching.  I currently have 35 years of experience in education.  I have served as a classroom teacher, a technology instructor, a private school elementary principal, a district specialist, and a high school Dean of Students.  I have taught every grade level 6-12, covering classes like Humanities 1 and II, World History, Language Arts, PE, ASB, and Speech and Debate.  I currently teach 6th grade social studies which emphasizes the development of human systems throughout the history of ancient civilizations.  Along with Barbara, I have started a speech and debate club here at Timberline with an eye towards eventually teaching it as an elective class.  I am also the Boys Badminton coach.

My love of water is still with me, but this time it is frozen.  I've started playing ice hockey.  Go Kraken!