Leadership Speaker Series

We start the adventure in central IL. growing up on farms and being that typical Midwest kid amongst the corn and not a lot of excitement. Fast forward to my 7th-grade year, I had not done well in school as most around me were not focused on education but rather on the survival of the family and farms. I had been struggling and my grandmother had me take a look at St. John’s. Now being 12 and seeing Milwaukee for the first time and now the campus well made me make a choice for myself for the first time in my life. The story changed a bit, looking for direction after the academy again, I found myself in the Fire Service. I spent years part-time in departments and not being hired back when I knew I had to pivot again. This is how we land in the world of Silicon Valley. 

I started my journey in 1998 as a desktop technician and never looked back. I have held roles at some of the biggest companies in the world running and building operations. Brands we know and love in our homes and then placing me where I am now having worked for 5 of the top 10 biggest tech manufacturers in the world on their sales teams developing the designs that secure our critical infrastructure and the services that help our families. I have made it a goal of mine after 25+ years in the industry to try and teach and pass on tribal knowledge that sometimes gets lost which is why I am now teaching skills that are not in books and are aligned to life lessons. It is a drive of mine not only with my peers and students but most importantly my kids.