Read on:
I was born and raised in south central Illinois, joining the U. Navy right out of high school. After nearly 11 years of active service, during which I served on 3 ships and made 4 Western Pacific deployments, traveling and conducting operations all over the Far East and Australia, participating in many exciting and profound life experiences, including several refugee rescues off the coas
t of Vietnam; I decided to leave the service and seek new challenges in civilian life. Eventually, I ended up back home near St. Louis, finally settling in Jefferson County in 2004. I had returned to the Navy Reserve in 1995 and was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, deploying to Kuwait with a Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare port security unit, guarding the harbor from attack during the operation. After returning from the successful deployment, I decided to retire from the Navy in 2005. Over the next few years, I got more active and involved in local affairs; and more interested in how the government actually functioned. Eventually, I got involved with the Tea Party movement. Having spent over 2 decades of my life supporting and defending the U.S. Constitution and the American way of life, I was appalled at the lack of understanding in our political governance about their proper role; as well as showing poor leadership on many levels as numerous folks professed to serve the People in their elected positions. After taking a leadership role in both the military and the Tea Party, I decided it was time to put my managerial and leadership training to good use and start being part of the solution, rather than just pointing out the shortcomings of others; to find another way to continue my public service. As Gandhi said: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” About that time I was approached by some folks I had worked with in the community about running for public office, suggesting the Public Administrators department. I did some research and decided to jump in and see if I could make a difference. Nearly 4 years later, I believe we have. I say we, because it is with the service, hard work and support of many; especially my incredibly resourceful and resilient staff and the wonderful service providers and care agencies who deliver the direct care & supportive services for our wards, that we have been successful in improving training and service, expanding our staff and office hours, and reducing operating costs; while returning an ever increasing amount of allocated funds back to the county taxpayers’ general reserve fund. We have also enhanced our presence in the community, reaching out to agencies and facilities to advance communication, awareness of lessons learned and opportunities for improvement in knowledge and skills all along the continuum of care that helps the most vulnerable in our community; those who have lost the capacity and ability to make safe and effective decisions for their lives and well-being. When no one else is willing or able to serve as a substitute decision maker for these incapacitated or disabled people, the probate court authorizes us to step in and assume decision making authority to get the situation back on track; and coordinate the activities of service and care providers for the best interests and welfare of the ward. I have also been able to expand my involvement with the Missouri Association of Public Administrators (MAPA) & the community, creating improved relationships & communication while seeking proactive solutions to our daily challenges. This includes serving on the Ethics Committee at Mercy Hospital Jefferson, regular attendance at Coordination of Care meetings in the community, serving on the Legislative Committee for MAPA; and last year being selected by my peers to serve as the MAPA regional Vice President. In this role, I will be bringing our annual MAPA Conference to Jefferson County for the first time; which we will be hosting this next spring in Festus, at the Lexington Inn. This will be a great opportunity to showcase our county, and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this enterprise that will bring Public Administrators, their Deputies & spouses from all over the state; along with scores of service and care providers to our community for 4 days of training, networking and problem solving! In our office, we use the power of quotes to motivate us to do our best. The guiding quote for our office is from George Washington Carver, who said: “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong, because someday in life you will have been all of these.” We will continue to seek improvements in our skills, abilities, and process efficiencies along with increasing communication, understanding and cooperation around the community to provide those entrusted to our protective oversight with the best opportunities to experience dignity and respect in their home environment and be afforded the opportunity to make decisions within their capacity to do so, while remaining safe. I have been honored to lead this office for the people of Jefferson County, and look forward to continuing to make a positive difference in ensuring that our department provides effective solutions for our fellow citizens. Thank you for helping me to make that happen!
