About Me
My background
I have spent almost 30 years in the emergency services and emergency management fields. I began my career as a firefighter and a paramedic in Summit County, Colorado, and later worked at both the local and state levels in emergency management, dedicating my work to assisting people on their worst days.
I am a native of Colorado. I moved to Las Vegas right out of high school with $300 in my pocket. While there, I went to UNLV, learned to play pool, and began a lifelong love for the music of the Grateful Dead. After six years, and an important moment at a stop light, I moved back to Colorado to begin EMT school. Since that time I have never doubted my life's purpose.
For the last ten years, I have lived in Fort Collins, Colorado, and continue my work as an emergency manager.
My Education
I began my education at Red Rocks Community College as a young EMT and Firefighter by getting an Associates Degree in Fire Science Technology. It then took me about 13 years to finish my bachelor's degree, from the classes I took at UNLV in Las Vegas through to my ultimate degree in Emergency Management from Metropolitan State College of Denver. I later obtained a Master’s Degree in Political Science and Public Policy from CU Denver and a Master's Degree in Defense Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security.
I am currently completing a PhD in Business Strategy and Innovation, from Capella University, writing a dissertation on ways in which to transform emergency management for tomorrow’s challenges.
My Hobbies
My main hobby is taking care of my dogs, Storm and Crash. Both dogs were found as strays in San Antonio, Texas, and became the best of friends at the shelter. When I went down to Denver to visit one of them at the shelter, I saw them together and knew they had to stay together. They are young, full of energy, and terribly loyal.
Other hobbies include gardening, journaling, puzzles, reading, and spending time outside. I can also play a mean game of pool on occasion.