Growing up my parents instilled in me a strong work ethic and a responsibility for my actions that persists in me today. I have long enjoyed growing and caring for the family garden on our rural acreage outside Marion, Iowa. I also enjoy hobbies that include drawing , photography, ceramics, woodworking, rebuilding and restoring antique tractors and vintage motorcycles. My appreciation for the design process and the landscape architecture profession stems from these experiences. I believe in a strong environmental ethic and stewardship , collaboration, respect for others and careful craft in my work.
My understanding of collaboration and its role in the design process has grown from my time as a lead member of my high school robotics team. As the head of the design-build construction team, and a competition driver I was responsible for coordinating work efforts and ensuring we had a quality machine when we entered the field. I believe that the future morphology of our culture and the built environment will be the result of collaborative efforts among concerned citizens who believe they can and should respond to natural processes that sustain our needs.