I am an award-winning marketing and communications executive, volunteer, movie lover, lapsed runner, husband, conversationalist and doggie daddy.

Very much proud of my Kansas City roots, I have devoted my philanthropic outreach toward helping underprivileged children, both domestically and abroad. A recipient of Ewing Kauffman's "Project Choice/Kauffman Foundation" college scholarship and product of inner-city Kansas City, KS, I strive to honor the agreement to "pay it forward" to the communities in which I serves.

I thoroughly enjoy putting my career skills to use to help grow businesses and charities to fulfill their potential, particularly through marketing, public relations, social media and event planning/management. This includes management and leadership positions with Applebee's corporate marketing, AMC Theatres corporate/film marketing, Andrews McMeel Universal and strategic partnerships with Entertainment Weekly, The Academy Awards, San Diego Comic Con and the Sundance Film Festival.

Every Tuesday night around 8:30PM CT, I host Five Questions on Twitter. Using the hashtag #g5qs (Gene's 5 Questions), five questions are posed around life, entertainment, pop culture, politics and the world around us. We've built a great community there and I encourage you to participate.

Currently, I serve on the boards of the Second Chance Scholarship, the Kansas City FilmFest, the Kansas City Film Society and Village South Africa, along with being a 12-year "Big Brother/Big Couple" volunteer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City and foster dog volunteer for the Great Plains SPCA.