I was born to a Boston Massachusetts seminary student and his wife.  My Father became an American Baptist minister and was called to serve a church in Ohio .  I grew up in St. Marys, Ohio as the oldest son in a family of seven children.  In St. Marys I began to learn the skills and attributes of working hard, where I delivered the Toledo Blade and the Columbus Dispatch every afternoon. (And in the morning on the weekends!)  I can remember saving my hard earned dollars until I could buy my first car; a1979 Ford Mustang.  

I graduated from Memorial High School in 1980 and attended Judson College, in Elgin Illinois .  Judson College was a small Baptist College where I made great friends, including my wife Joanna.  I transferred to Ohio Northern University , and graduated in 1984.  I came to Toledo, to attend the University of Toledo's College of Law , and remember relying on the generosity of others daily as I hitch hiked down Bancroft Street to the University.  I sound like an old-timer saying, It sure was a different time back then.

I worked as a law clerk to Judge Robert Pollex, where we wrote the In Re Ruiz decision, which still claims to be the most often cited Common Please court decision from the state of Ohio .  The judge ruled that a mother could abuse or neglect her unborn child by using drugs while the baby was still in the womb.  I felt very comfortable helping the judge support this decision of life.

I worked for Jay Harris and Mike Reny at the law firm of Lackey, Nusbaum, Harris, Reny & Torzewski.  What a fine collection of excellent attorneys that I was able to watch and model after, in those formidable law clerk and young lawyer years.  Under their guidance and direction I observed the intricate balance of hard work, loyalty to your clients, fearlessly fighting against large corporate America , and respecting the rules of fair play and professionalism.

I was recruited by the law firm of Kalniz, Iorio & Feldstein to manage their work comp section.  I enjoyed this job very much, until the firm split apart, and I joined two partners Lee Johnson and Dennis M. Keil in the creation of our own firm.  I remained with one or both of them for the next thirteen years, at which time I decided to limit my practice to that of a sole practitioner, dealing almost exclusively with Administrative Law surrounding work related disabilities and injuries.

I love raising my two children here in Sylvania Township and highly value our family involvement in our church:   Ashland Avenue Baptist Church .  Joanna and I led the youth group for many years and we, have served in leadership positions and have ministered to the community there for nearly 25 years.  One of my favorite pastimes is baseball.  I love the nights I can sit down and watch the Reds or Tigers.  I continue to be a season ticket holder for the Toledo Mud Hens, but I still enjoy playing softball whenever I get the chance.  In recent years I have developed a new passion for hard rocking music.  Me and a buddy started a band we call AD/BC.

My life verse is found in the Book of Micah, and answers the question, What does the Lord require of me, but to do justice, show mercy and walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)  I try to shape my practice as an attorney and counselor in a fashion fitting such character.