A little about me (including a few things you probably don’t need to know):
I collect things. Not in a refined, museum-curator way. More in a “this sparks joy and now I own 40 of them” way. Hot Wheels, Halloween everything, vinyl records, old-school matchbooks… if it’s nostalgic, I’m in.
I’ve got four kids, all awesome. My oldest plays D1 volleyball at Radford (Virginia), my wife played at NC State, and more coming up the ranks. Volleyball isn’t just in the family, it’s a pretty central theme.
I’m naturally social and enjoy bringing people together, which led me to serve as President of my neighborhood association in Greentree West. It’s been a great way to build community, plan events, and occasionally go all-in on ideas like trail cams around our shared pond.
Fun fact: I never got wisdom teeth. Only about 1% of people can say that. My sisters would say it explains a lot. They are wrong. Obviously.
I’ve been into the paranormal and cryptozoology since grade school. Shoutout to the good ‘ol Book Fair for absolutely launching that lifelong curiosity (of which I still have in my library!) I blame the Book Fair for two things: my love of reading and my inability to fully rule out anything… ever.
Flying is in the family. My dad and both grandfathers were Air Force pilots. Two of my sisters, too. No, I didn’t follow suit. Partly being the perfect vision requirement, but mostly because young me was laser-focused on becoming a helicopter pilot thanks to growing up watching Airwolf and Blue Thunder.
Work stuff, since that’s probably why you’re here:
I fell into design early, somewhere between my first Apple computer and realizing I liked making things more than just using them. I still fire that thing up once or twice a year. My kids humor me in its awesomeness, briefly, before going back to their PS5… I’m choosing not to take it personally.
My career has spanned two chapters: Creative Director in the agency world, followed by UX Director roles in product and corporate environments. That combination of creative storytelling and research-driven insight has shaped how I approach experience design today.
I’m as comfortable directing the work as I am contributing to it. Strategy matters, but so does execution. I believe teams are strongest when leaders stay close to the work, not just to guide it, but to demonstrate what’s possible for both stakeholders and the team.
I’m also a strong advocate for the role of AI in design. It’s a powerful tool for exploring ideas, accelerating workflows, and reducing friction in how we build. More importantly, when applied thoughtfully in the product itself, it can create experiences that feel more intuitive, more helpful, and more human.