Where did you grow up? Chicago suburbs (northwest). Came to LA for a summer engineering intern position at Hughes Aircraft when I was 20. It was great. I stayed with Hughes for almost 20 years.
Hobbies? Cycling – road & mountain. Building and fixing bicycles. Hiking. Cross country skiing. Muscle car mechanics. Woodworking and home repairs. Computers & software. Making VBS props.
Favorite vacation spot(s)? 1) Yosemite (have been more than 100 times) 2) Aspen CO. 3) Vail/Glenwood CO. 4) London and areas of UK 5) France
What’s your role and what do you look forward to with being an elder/deacon? My role will be a deacon specialist concentrating on the special needs of those experiencing job loss or career trauma. I’ve been down that path too many times and I have considerable experience in job loss and even better: recovery. I’m positioned to walk alongside those who are in this situation.
How long have you been at MPC? We started at MPC in 1988 at Chaparral Middle School. We signed the charter along with the other founding members. I’m so glad there wasn’t a written entrance exam.
Favorite experience at MPC? Being part of the startup of the MPC Peach Hill site from scratch. Starting with a piece of property with occasional grazing cows. Watching Peach Hill Road getting extended. Planning the new building in Building Committee no#1, usually meeting in our home. Then moving into the new facility (Fellowship Hall at that time) in July 1992. Followed by the assembly of classrooms from two ugly double-wide trailers; configuring them into offices and classrooms that stood for a decade. Just as we were about to complete the classrooms, I lost my job when my division of Hughes moved to Tucson. That was an inflection point where I had to choose between church/community and established steady career. I chose church/community. That decision put me on high tech/high risk career rollercoaster that is the foundational personal struggle and carer experience that I now offer as deacon specialist.
Profession: Technologist and Program Manager. Most of my career has been in imaging: including visible cameras, video cameras (now FaceTime), missile seekers, and in last two decades Infrared detectors, sensors, and cameras. I work part-time for a Finish company making short-wave infrared sensors and cameras.
Family: Wife, Denise – 44 years. Daughter, Allison living in London as architect and developer. Son, Greg married living in Camarillo with a new baby. A new grandson, Jesse – soon to be 6 months.
What’s your favorite bible verse: Prov 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. I really think they meant to says it the glory of engineers to figure out stuff. I always loved story problems in math class as a student.
Movie: Chevy Chase/National Lampoon Christmas vacation.
The Most profound book (outside of the Bible) that has shaped or challenged you? Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday & Resnick.
Favorite ice cream: Chocolate mint chip
Fun fact: I study French every day. I am intermediate level B1/CEFR 82. Pouvez-vous parler avec moi?