I was born in Detroit, Michigan in February 1948, and raised in Battle Creek, Michigan. I am retired now from two careers, the more recent as a lawyer in private practice and then as a government attorney, and the earlier as a choral conductor, music professor, and church organist. Along the way, I have taught elementary school, high school, and college.

I’m running for the Board because I believe we need to turn our financial and governance course around, keep our costs down, listen to residents, and maintain the character for which we chose the Village. My legal experience and the perspective it provides can help the Board do that. As a lawyer, I developed strong interpersonal skills, and the important ability to provide understandable, accurate, transparent communication. This came from work in government with people at all levels from Presidential appointees to support staff, and in private practice with clients from farmers to businesses. Throughout my career, I saw my role as a Counselor at Law, advising what was truly best for the client rather than bending the law to a particular outcome. My background and skill set can help the Board govern in the sunshine, spot issues it should address, and maintain fidelity to our founding documents and the Board’s operational mandate.

I have a Juris Doctor degree in law (Univ. of Missouri with third year study at Univ. of Minnesota), a Bachelor of Music degree in organ (Andrews Univ.), a Master of Music degree in conducting (Univ. of Maryland), and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting and choral music (Univ. of Colorado). However—fun fact—I don’t have a high school diploma.

After law school, I was a litigator in private practice in Minnesota, notably as a partner at Blethen, Gage & Krause in Mankato. I had 150 farmer clients in my biggest case, which involved the Commodity Exchange Act and contracts on the Chicago Board of Trade. One Iowa lawyer and I took on one of the biggest law firms in St. Paul, MN and won in federal court.

That case led me to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) where I spent 23 years as an attorney in the Division of Market Oversight. I led CFTC’s oversight of the cybersecurity of all U.S. futures exchanges. I served as CFTC’s representative on the Financial and Banking Information Infrastructure Committee of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, which coordinated critical infrastructure protection across all federal financial regulators. For the frequent classified briefings involved, I had a Top Secret-Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance. I had a preparatory and supporting role in meetings and cybersecurity exercises attended by the Secretary of the Treasury, the Chairmen of the Federal Reserve, SEC, and CFTC, and other regulatory principals. I also represented the United States (along with colleagues from other U.S. regulators) in international negotiations with the Financial Stability Board and U.K., EU, and Asian regulators.

I married my better half, Julia, in 2014, and built our house in the Village and moved here in 2022. I don’t have children (she has two), but I raised two wonderful stepsons and helped raise two amazing goddaughters. Last but most important, I am a Christian, who prays every day for mercy because he needs it, believes in salvation by grace through faith, and looks for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.