As an early part of the baby-bom generation ...

Grew up in Rome, N.Y. and thought the sound of jet planes taking off and landing was part of everyone's environment.

Began a paper route in the the eighth grade and stopped delivering when I was a senior. Everything I needed to learn about busines I learned as a paperboy. It really is about customer service.

St. Aloysius and Rome Catholic High were great prepartion for the quest of life-long learning.

The State University of New York College at Cortland introduced me to the rigors and joys of mindful exploration and combining work and play. Student government was a major part of life, lacrosse and football were interesting, bench-sitting challenges and the DKB fraternity was guys being guys, being guys who would become men.

The Marine Corps -- absolutely one of the proudest moments of my life was being commissioned as Second Lieutenant Puffer. The major surprise was coming back to the world from Nam and then having to decide what life might become.

The decision of who and what to be in my life has taken me from elementary school teacher (I was so BADDDD) to reporter, editor, photographer and change agent in the newspaper business to public relations and corporate communications in the world of papermaking and international packaging with Sonoco, And then into what we fondly call THE ACADEMY with the privilege of facilitating learning that will help others open doors for the rest of their lives at Coker College. With the opportuity of working in the world of philanthropy as executive director of a hyper-local foundation with the mission of helping others make Hartsville, S.C. be a great place to live, work, and have children. Sylvia and I have been wed for more than 39 years and Eve and Inga will always be the two best accomplishments of this life -- no matter what the future holds.