What is the coolest thing you've experienced while working in the industry?I'd say having the opportunity to design and build numerous buildings for my Alma Mater (Marquette University).
If you could have anyone play you in a movie about your life who would you choose?Daniel Craig because he is the best James Bond. I have always wanted to be James Bond.
What was the best day of your life and why?I don’t think I can choose 1 but I can name 3. The day I married my wife, the birth of our first daughter Kaylee and the birth of our second daughter Kendall. Each of these events has altered me in indescribable ways.
What skill or talent would you most like to learn?I always thought it would be cool to play the violin in a rock band. I worked for a ski resort in Colorado and the local band would invite audience members on the stage to play various instruments. The violin players were amazing.
What was your favorite subject in school?Geography. I used to sit and read the atlas for hours. I actually placed in the state geography bee in 8th grade, I nearly made it to Nationals with a chance to meet Alex Trebek who was hosting. I guess it's no wonder that I specialized in planning and real estate!
What's the coolest thing you've experienced while working in the industry?I don’t know how “cool” it is but memorable, definitely. I met the founder of Jelly Belly while I was working on property acquisition for a customer. I’ll never forget going to his factory, seeing all of the pictures of him with Ronald Reagan (fun fact: he was an avid jelly bean lover!), getting a bunch of jelly beans and leaving with the only jelly bean business card I’ve ever seen. We never got the deal done but I did enjoy those jelly beans!
What was the best day of your life?When I met my wife. My whole life changed for the better when we met and she continues to amaze me every day.
Who is the most inspirational person to you?I had a neighbor growing up who taught me to hunt and fish. I realized later in life that he mentored me in so many more ways. I named my son after him (Joseph).
What is your favorite book?Years ago I read Catcher in the Wry by Bob Uecker. It's hilarious and I love Mr. Baseball!
Which skill would you love to learn?When my father passed away, he left me his 1966 Gibson guitar. I want to learn to play it in his memory. I probably will never be a great player, but just to be able to play the simplest song will mean a lot.
If you could choose one person, living or dead, whom would you most want to emulate and why?FDR (Franklin Delano Roosevelt). FDR believed that people who were given much had the obligation to give much and he carried that passion in everything he did. He became president, not because it was due him, but because he felt obligated to help on the best platform he could.
What was your favorite subject in school?History. Without a deep understanding of where we're from, we cannot truly understand who we are or where we are going. Also, Geography, because maps are awesome!
What was the best day(s) of your life?The birth of my daughters Annika & Isla – they’ve made our lives more full. We gained something that we didn’t even know was missing to that point.
What are your favorite hobbies?I love to go hiking, camping, hunting -- pretty much anything outdoors! Growing up, my family always got together over outdoor activities which we still love to plan today! Now, I do this as much as I can with my wife and daughter.
What type of car would you be?A VW bus. Over the years it has had so many uses and it still kind of a cool car to have. I hope I am that cool when I am that old.
What skill or talent would you most like to learn?Woodworking – I have designed furniture in the past and I would like to build some of it.
What does family mean to you?My family is one gigantic mirror. My love for them and want for them to grow their belief in themselves challenges me and makes me a better person every day.
What is your favorite book?A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. Simply put it illustrates to me the power of love in the most dire of circumstances and most opposite of perspectives.
What skill or talent would you most like to learn?I would love to learn how to fly a small plane. It obviously takes lots of practice and training hours to receive your license, but it would be a goal of mine to try after my daughter graduates from school. How awesome would it be to take short weekend trips with my wife to areas that we normally wouldn’t ever have gone before…if she trusts me flying!
Who is the most inspirational person to you?My mother - she alone raised my two sisters and I while working countless hours to support us. She also taught me the work ethic I have today and that family should always be number one in our lives.
What was the best day of your life and why?The birth of my son, Waylon, was the best day of my life. Not only getting to see my child for the first time, but getting to see my wife, Ashley, become a mother and her joy was incredible.
Who is the most inspirational person to you?My father worked for 30 years as a correctional officer while also running our family farm and never missing a sporting event I had. His work ethic and dedication to our family has been the biggest inspiration in my life.