I have supported a number of our local human services nonprofits with my time. I have  been active in domestic violence prevention since the mid-90s and served for 6 years until June 2017 on the board of Helpmate, our community domestic violence agency, with 4 years as Treasurer. Before that, I served for over 6 years on the Board of Homeward Bound of Asheville, a local nonprofit that assists the homeless, as President for my last 2 years. I am currently Secretary of the Board of the Executive Association of Greater Asheville, serving on the board, including a term as President, for most of the years since I joined in 2000. I also served as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Business Computer Department at A-B Tech for many years.

My wife Wendy and I love being outdoors whenever we can. We have pulled our camper over 100,000 miles in recent years on trips ranging from weekends to 3 months. We have camped in 49 states and 8 Canadian provinces and territories. We have visited 37 of our National Parks with a goal to get to the remaining 11 that can be reached with the camper, and have also spent time in countless National Forests, Monuments, Recreation Areas, and state and local parks. A recent big trip in 2018 to the Canadian Rockies and Alaska included 12 weeks of amazing scenery and experiences. I have been canoeing since I was 12 and I love to spend time watching the wildlife on lakes and rivers. We carry our canoe on the roof of the truck in front of the camper with the bicycles mounted below on the front bumper. As birdwatchers for decades we never travel without binoculars, and Wendy brings her cameras wherever we go.

In the fall of 2011, I bought a motorcycle and began riding – we live right in the middle of motorcycle heaven! Wendy and I like to ride to scenic areas and trailheads around WNC and are planning more motorcycle weekend trips. At some point we will likely start carrying the motorcycle on the back of the camper.

I learned home construction and building as a firefighter for 6 years in NH, and by working for a home builder for a year when I arrived in NC in 1995. I worked solo evenings and weekends in the early 2000s to build a garage shop with an upstairs apartment behind our house in Black Mountain. Wendy and I take on frequent home and garden improvement projects on our own home and we have renovated two rental properties, so staying busy is never a problem.

I have a daughter in Virginia and a son in New Hampshire, with four NH grandkids. My son installed a camper power outlet on the side of their house so we can park in the yard and live in the camper during extended visits. Wendy’s son and daughter live nearby in Waynesville so we see them more often. Wendy’s two-year-old grandson Finn frequently spends long weekends with us. When Wendy and Finn are together they are inseparable and it’s hard to know which one is having more fun! We love having him around and watching him grow.