About me:

I was born July 3, 1957 in Miami, Florida, and have been a resident of Florida most of my life. I grew up in the Driftwood Acres subdivision of Hollywood, Florida. I am a graduate of Cooper City High School, Cooper City Florida, being a member of the first full graduating class in June 1975. Upon graduation, I took a summer off, then headed north for four years of undergraduate study. I attended the University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Theatre in June 1979.

After graduation, I moved to Dothan, Alabama and met my first wife Patricia. We married in 1980, After a few months of marriage, the job market turned sour and steady work was hard to find. I worked as a training specialist for AAA Cooper Transportation in Dothan, Alabama; a media trainer under the CETA program for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Atmore, Alabama; as a manager for Septum Cinemas, Inc. in Mableton, Georgia; and as a production assistant for Gordon Communications/WTSG TV 31 in Albany Georgia.

Three dead end jobs and one failed marriage later (Patricia filed for divorce in 1982), I decided a drastic change was in order. The change came in the form of a meeting with the local U.S. Air Force recruiter, and I joined the U.S. Air Force in August 1983.

I attended the Defense Information School at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana in late 1983, graduating in early 1984. My course work included the Basic Broadcaster Course, the Electronic Journalism Course (both in residence) and the Basic Journalist Course by correspondence in 1987.

While overseas, I earned a Certificate in Information Systems Management from University of Southern California - European Division in June 1991. In my military career, I have worked as a broadcast journalist, radio announcer, and feature producer for the Air Force European Broadcasting Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and the American Forces Network - Europe (AFN-E) in Frankfurt, Germany. While in Germany, I did voice over work in my off duty time for clients such as Daimler-Benz and Karcher Inc.

My duty locations included Detachment 5, Air Force European Broadcasting Squadron at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, Detachment 6, Air Force European Broadcasting Squadron at Torrejon Air Base, Spain; Detachment 2, Air Force European Broadcasting Squadron (AFN Stuttgart) Stuttgart Military Community, Germany; and Detachment 2, Air Force European Broadcasting Squadron (AFN Soesterberg) Soesterberg Royal Netherlands Air Base, The Netherlands. I was the Community Relations NCO for the 22d Air Refueling Wing, March Air Force Base, California from 1987 to 1988. I was the Special Projects NCO and base newspaper staff writer for the 16th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida from 1994 to 1996.

Injuries sustained overseas led to my ineligibility for further military service. I took medical retirement from the Air Force, my last day of active service being January 19th, 1996.  During the first few years of my retirement I earned certifications as a Novell computer network systems administrator as well as earning an Associate of Science in Computer Network Administration from Okaloosa-Walton Community College, (now Northwest Florida State College) in May 1998.

I worked part-time in 1995 through 1996 for WYZB-FM “Country 105.5” as a mid-day announcer and at WFTW-AM as a relief host and weekend sports board operator.

I am now a partner in a mobile pet grooming business started by my wife Laura. We have been married since November 10, 1988. Our children are grown and out of the house. Son Timothy lives in Connecticut,  son Trevor is attending college in Ohio, daughter Krista is married to husband Michael Ayers and is the mother of our grandson Vaughn Connor, and daughter Zoe still lives in Crestview and attends Northwest Florida State College.

I am a member of the North Okaloosa Amateur Radio Club. My amateur radio interests include digital modes, APRS, emergency communications. I am also a member of SATERN, Crestview CERT, and a trained storm spotter for the National Weather Service Office, Mobile, Alabama.

My amateur radio gear:

Yaesu FT-950 HF/6 meter transceiver
LDG  DTS 4 antenna switch
LDG AT 100 antenna tuner
Hy-Gain AV6160 160-6 meter vertical antenna
Tram 2 meter/440 vertical antenna
MFJ 1775 40 meter and above rotatable dipole antenna
Macintosh G4 running MacLogger DX for contact logging and rig control.

Yaesu FT-100D HF/VHF/UHF transceiver (in the mobile)
Yaesu FT-7800D 2 meter/440mhz transceiver (in the mobile)

Yaesu ATAS-120 40 meter - 2 meter screwdriver antenna (in the mobile)

Yaesu FT-60 handheld VHF-UHF transceiver

Icom IC-91AD handheld D-STAR transceiver

Other interests: My other interests include computers. travel and camping.