About
Me
I have lived in Redondo Beach all my life. My parents came from Montana, where their parents were homesteaders in the prairie farmland of the Big Sky country. My father, an electrician, brought my mother to California because of WWII and the need for electrical workers here. I got a look at life as a Boy Scout Senior Patrol Leader and played Little League Baseball too with a pretty good eye for hitting the ball. Growing up in a beach town was great in the summer; however, I have watched a sleepy middle class seaside village grow into the more polished Redondo Beach of today. It’s still a great place to live - just different.
I attended both Catholic and public schools, studied piano and trumpet which I played in the school band at Redondo Union High School. I participated in all kinds of sports and clubs, but I also got the lead in the Senior Play. The acting bug stuck. I had planned on being an electrician like my father, but the acting changed all that. I graduated from California State University at Long Beach with a Bachelors Degree in Theater Studies in 1968.
Within months after receiving my degree my draft notice arrived. The Viet Nam War was raging. First stop was Ft. Ord, California, where I took basic training. I was offered Officer Candidate School, but I declined the offer. From Ord I went to Ft. Dix, New Jersey for Clerk School. From Dix on to Ft. Hamilton in Brooklyn, New York for Audio Visual Production training. On completion of all training, my final duty station would be Ft. Eustis in Newport News, Virginia. I was assigned to Headquarters Company. I worked with the Post Chaplains as well as Special Services in the production of live theater on Post. Eventually I was assigned to the Command Information Office where I produced video and print training materials and hosted a community radio news spot, and of course, I wrote acting roles for myself in all the video productions. I came home with my Honorable Discharge in 1970.
For over twenty-five years I worked with Kawasaki, Nissan and Toyota at their National Headquarters facilities. In addition to writing, I produced video, print materials and special events for these corporations. Corporate outsourcing led to the end of my career in the automotive industry but led to a career with the State of California Employment Development Department as a Veterans Representative with the Job Service Division. In this position, I use my training skills to teach others how to find work. I continue my freelance work as a videographer, and I have taught Video Production classes for the Advertising Center in Los Angeles.
I believe that many things can change in life, but the experiences in life can never be taken away. Other than Theater, some of my treasures include: learning to fly private aircraft and making my first solo flight in 13 hours, flying hang gliders and ultralight aircraft, running two marathons with a best time of 3:44:14, achieving Gold Medal status in the Senior Games, winning Silver and Bronze Medals at the National Veterans Golden Age Games, picking up my Sports Car Club of America Road Racing driver’s license, winning a trophy in Drag Racing, world travel, and climbing Mount Whitney at 14,495 feet.