Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in public administration? My father was a career Naval officer and my mother was a Navy nurse during WWII. After graduating from college, he told me to get out of bed and get a job. I answered an ad in the Washington Post and went to an interview way out in Warrenton, VA. I met two sleazy guys who kept telling me I was going to make a lot of money and have lots of free time, but they wouldn't say what the job was. I finally said yes to the job and then they told me, it was selling door-to-door burial insurance. That same day, I got a call from the U.S. Department of Commerce to come interview for a GS-3 Temporary Purchasing Agent position in Procurement. I went in that day and said they offered me the job and I said yes. They moved me into doing more contract specialist things because I had a degree in Business from VCU. I loved doing procurement work because it used all the things I learned in business classes. It inspired me to go on to get an MBA from George Washington University with a concentration in Procurement and Program Management.
Who has been a key mentor or source of inspiration for you? My parents were always my role models. Both parents taught us all the golden rule in terms of people. Both parents were hard workers and my father instilled integrity into all of their seven children. I also like great leaders I worked for like Charles Rossotti, Tom Ridge, Admiral Jim Loy, Joyce Cavallini, and Asa Hutchinson. These were smart people who were great leaders of people and teachers. I also tried to model myself after Vice Admiral Frank Donovan, my wife's uncle and one of the finest persons I have ever known.
What advice would you give to those interested in pursuing a career in public administration? Go all in, continue your education, volunteer for the toughest jobs, work hard, don't be political, and be a good teammate. Speak well of your organization, and try to always improve your analytical/problem-solving skills and communication skills, including listening. Try to be the best in your field.
What would you currently consider the most critical challenge for public administration and why? I think recruiting, managing, and inspiring people in the current environment is probably a tough challenge. I believe getting good people is always key and it will help with the big issue of improving/earning the trust of the American people.
What is your favorite cuisine? My wife's cooking.
What is your favorite hobby or activity that you enjoy doing in your free time? I like baseball (I have been to all 30 major league teams' stadiums with my son), I manage a men's book club with my twin brother, and I like to hike and travel with my wife and sometime brothers and friends (our daughter, hubby and one granddaughter live in The Hague). Seeing both granddaughters and daughter-in-law (a contracting officer with NavSea) and son-in-law, (an IT leader for a Dutch company) and their families is always fun. Occasionally, playing a vicious game of competitive Scrabble with two of my brothers. I also love being with our dog Teddy even though he takes up too much of my side of the bed. I am also trying to learn Dutch, but nog een lange weg te gaan.
What was your dream job as a child? Not sure but playing in Major League Baseball or the NBA would have been cool. A part of me wished I had served in the military, like my parents and a sister and a brother did. I thought about that when I was young.
