Globe
I am an American who is a citizen of the world - I was raised in South America and Europe. I was born in Colombia and went to elementary school in Peru, Argentina, New Jersey, and New York. I graduated high school from the American School of Paris in France. My father was an international film executive and my mother was in the foreign service. In the Army I served in Germany. I am fluent in Spanish and French and have a working knowledge of basic German.

I am a life-long learner - While working forty hours and volunteering as a ski patroller I earned a masters degree in computer science and and an MBA. I recently earned my PMP certification. I am always open to learning new things.

Skiing
I am an avid skier - I’ve been skiing since high school when one of my teachers sponsored a spring break trip to Pralognan in France. I’ve skied France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany in Europe; Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia in Canada; and Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and California.

I am a member of the National Ski Patrol - This season (2010-2011) will be my 21st season as a member of the National Ski Patrol. For 11 years I patrolled at Ski Beech in North Carolina. Since 2001, I’ve been patrolling at Spring Mountain in Pennsylvania. Now I am a first aid instructor teaching Outdoor Emergency care to new patrollers. I am also a Hill Captain (shift supervisor) three days a week at Spring Mountain.

Bicycle
I am an avid cyclist - I live about a mile from the Perkiomen Trail and try to ride my bike once a week from May to September. I’ve biked the Perkiomen Trail, the Schuylkill River Trail, the Lehigh Valley Gorge Trail, the Mauch Chunk Trail, Tyler State Park, Peace Valley County Park, Ridley Creek State Park, and the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.

I am an avid reader - I am always reading one or more books at time. I like historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, math and science books.

Soldier
I am a Vietnam-Era veteran - I served in the army for 7 years. I was stationed in Germany for 3 1/2 years and at Ft. Bragg, NC for three years. I was Ballistic Meteorology Crewman. We sent up weather balloons to gather data to correct the aim of the artillery. Some artillery pieces such as 175mm Howitzers can hit targets 20 miles away and the shells reach a height of 10,000 feet. They need to know the wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity and air density to correct their aim. I reached the rank of SP/5.


I’ve had lots of interesting jobs before being a software engineer and project manager:

I was a file clerk at United Artists in NY during the summer between freshman and sohphmore college years. I helped organize the records warehouse in L.I. City. I worked with Dennis Belafonte, brother of Harry Belafonte who managed the records.

I was a sawmill worker during the summer between sophmore and junior college years in Acushnet, Massachusetts. We made wooden crates for the New Bedford fishing fleet. I learned to drive a stick shift that summer while driving an old pickup truck in the sawmill yard.

I was a taxi driver in Philadelphia during the summer between junior and senior college years. I drove the 4pm to 2am shift. My father thought I was crazy. One evening I was the only white guy in a Burger King on North Broad Street. At the end of the summer I knew all the streets in Philly.

I sold frozen shrimp out of the back of a truck in towns in rural North Carolina. I was fired from this job because I crashed the truck into the lobby awning of a motel at which I was staying. The awning was unhurt. It was concrete. The truck was severely damaged but still drivable.

I was a laborer at a nuclear power plant construction site for one year. I would come home with a yard of dirt on me.

I was a field engineer (construction surveyor) for two years at a nuclear power plant construction site. I really enjoyed this job.

I was a rebar inspector for two yearsat a nuclear power plant construction site. After a major error in the rebar in a pour, I was asked to be an inspector. I was involved with modifications to the physical design of the plant when errors were made that would be expensive to modify back to the original plans.

I was an operator and then the manager of the North Carolina State Computer Science Department’s computer center for two years. The center lost its manager NC State couldn’t afford to hire another. I stepped in and acted as the manager until I graduated.