I grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. My dad was a crane operator and my mom was a union bartender.

In 1967, my father was taken from us in a construction accident. Thankfully, our government’s safety nets caught my mom, my sister, and me when I was 10 years old. Social Security afforded us an opportunity for safety and stability. These programs rescued us from poverty. To this day, I am so grateful for the opportunities which were provided to my family by our country.

When I graduated from high school in 1974, I enlisted in the U.S. Army. I wanted to repay our country for the help it had given my family.

After being honorably discharged from the Army, I obtained my B.S. in Zoology in 1981. Following undergrad in 1981, I returned to the military to serve in the Air Force. While simultaneously serving as Navigation Officer in the Air Force, I obtained a Masters degree in Human Relations and Industrial Psychology. I retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1994.

I wanted to continue serving our country in a different capacity.  Following the Air Force, I put myself through medical school. I graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine in 1998.

Upon graduating from UND, I headed west to accept an internship with the University of Nevada School of Medicine Family Practice program. I fell in love with Northern Nevada. I remained in Reno to complete the Family Practice Residency Program in 2001.

I have remained an active medical provider in the Reno-Tahoe community through my private practice and involvement with the UNR School of Medicine as assistant clinical faculty.