I grew up in Columbia, Missouri. In 2005 I graduated from a small public liberal arts university, Truman State University, in a small college town in the Midwest. Afterwards, I moved to St. Louis, Missouri and started work as a software engineer at The Boeing Company.

I also met my partner, Todd, in 2005.

In my free time, I enjoying being in the outdoors, Olympic weightlifting, and gardening.

Olympic Weightlifting

I started Olympic weightlifting in 2015 to manage the stress of graduate school. I've since come to really love the sport and currently lift with Iron Forged Weightlifting Club at Pallas Fitness. My coach Nathan Jue. My weight class is Men's Master's 40-44 94kg.

Gardening

I also really enjoy gardening. I grow mostly heirloom vegetables in my garden. My favorite vegetable to grow is okra. My favorite flower is the Zinnia, which I've continue to grow from my grandmother. We usually start the young seedlings in our greenhouse every spring. To ensure the survival of the heirloom varieties we always collect the seeds and save them for next year. We also share them through the seed savers exchange. But I'm also happy to share some Zinnia seeds with anyone who asks!