I’m coming up on my one year right now, August 3rd is my one year.

I'm working in Pathways to Work group helping people to address employment related barriers and I'm also working with the re-entry team providing outreach to people who were previously incarcerated.

I feel like it’s always been a bit of a life calling. I went into the Marines, following my uncle and my five other cousins from this generation into the war. I had a whole lot of experiences out there and when I got back home, I had a difficult time transitioning, and that's what got me into working with people with disabilities.

I do, and I'd love to share. I’m a prior service veteran, I have PTSD, anxiety, depression and ADHD and I think about that often. I use my own challenges to help people to navigate through what they might be going through.

I just went to the theatre to watch Barbie with my wife, and I totally loved the movie.

I love every opportunity that I’ve gotten to experience with DRC. I was already working in the employment space but a different flow of operation. Something unique that I really appreciate is that what DRC affords me is an opportunity to be able to work with clients on a statewide level addressing systemic issues. So, it's not just about helping one person, it's about improving systems that go on to benefit the people.

Spend time appreciating the experience, soak up as much as you could, feel good about the path, and stay ready.

It always goes back to Iraq to me—my best and my worst. I just turned 21 before I went. I was a non-commissioned officer, I was tasked with being responsible for 5 people’s lives…aviation supply chain at the time. I started putting together programs to give people their time back, so I was finding ways for my staff to make calls home during work, play ping pong, whatever to make people happy.

I worked in the burn pits burning materials, and at the time I wasn’t really thinking about my health so people in my role we started taking on those tasks like 2 times a week. Things like that really weigh heavily. I feel like the experience I had and in Iraq, it really helped to develop my leadership and my understanding for why it's important to work for people and with people.

I have an individual motto and an organizational motto. Individually, adapt and overcome—life is going to give you issues, it’s going to give you problems, and you know, what are we going to do? I’m going to provide solutions. Organizationally: lead, follow, or get out of the way. I’m here to be an impactful leader. I’m ready to follow people who are doing good work and I mean the rest is just going to have to get out of the way.