I grew up in the progressive south (North Carolina) so I learned my manners from my two Grandmothers, both who were VERY progressive and not typical southern housewives. Even so, they taught me to respect those of superior age and wisdom regardless of my impertinent youth. Both of my Grandfathers had a significant impact on my upbringing and I thank them both for their influence, their respect for all people, and their love of the simple pleasures of fishing and tomatoes growing on the vine. My mother taught me by example the value of a woman in the family and that women are certainly equal to men. My father taught me that anything is possible and that you don’t have to be first, just the best.

I had a fairly geeky childhood, I have “the knack” which explains a lot about my endeavors as an youngster. I was able to find a place where those talents are both needed and celebrated and now spend my working hours exploring the Solar System for NASA via remote control. Fortunately for me, I also went to a liberal arts college as an undergraduate so I did get enough social and non-engineering skills to pass for normal in this world, despite having “the knack”.

I enjoy a good dark beer and my rocketry hobby. I like rocketry because it gives me a technical outlet for my geeky side as my job now is mostly managing teams of people to accomplish impossible feats of engineering and science.

I have had a very eventful past couple of years with when I met, wooed, and then married my wife, Cindy. Cindy has been a wonderful addition to my already established family of two sons and has shown me what being loved is truly about. We are settling into a new life together full of college basketball (I am truly blessed to have a wife that would rather go to the game than just about anything else!), a new house, and rockets.