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MY STORY
I grew up with my mom (Donna), dad (Ricky), and twin sister (Sarah) on a farm in southern Oklahoma. Work ethic and manners were values that my parents taught me at a very young age. I grew up working cows, building fences, hunting, fishing, and picking up more sticks than I ever cared to!
I attended Lone Grove schools until graduating in 2010. I was very fortunate to have a great group of teachers and administrators throughout my time in the Lone Grove school system. While in high school, I played basketball and baseball. Participating in organized sports really taught me the values of leadership, communication, and teamwork. During this time, I was also enrolled in the Boy Scouts of America and taking Taekwondo classes in Ardmore, Oklahoma. These two activities taught me additional values such as discipline, respect, and integrity. Prior to 2010, I received my Eagle Scout designation and my Black Belt in Taekwondo. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without either one of these organizations, or without the guidance my parents provided.
Upon graduating High school in 2010, I enrolled at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma. I entered college believing I was going to obtain a computer science degree, but God had other plans! In the summer after my sophomore year, I served on a Mission team in China. It was on this trip that God made very clear what my career path would actually be. During this time, I witnessed very little regard for worker safety. I watched city employees sleep around open manholes. I watched (and tried to stop) a man performing live electrical work on a metal ladder in 2 feet of standing water. It was these instances, and many more like them, that led me to look into the field of Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS). Upon returning home from China, I found out that Southeastern had an Occupational Safety and Health degree program. For the first time in my life, I knew this was exactly what I was meant to do!
In 2014, I graduated from Southeastern with my bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety and Health. I promised myself I was never going back to school! However, in the fall of 2015 I broke that promise and entered the OSH master’s program at Southeastern. After two years in the master's program, I graduated in December of 2017.
I married my beautiful wife, Maria, in July of 2018, and we currently live on a small farm in central Oklahoma. We have two donkeys, 10 chickens, and three dogs that keep us very busy!
As far as writing is concerned, I honestly never expected to write a book. However, I had many people over the course of my career ask me how to get started in the field of safety. Additionally, people who transitioned into the field asked me for resources and information on certain topics. This led to my first book, titled "The Beginner’s Guide to the Environmental, Health and Safety Profession". I am currently working on a couple of other books and hope to have them finished soon!
I encourage you to use my contact form, email me, or add me on LinkedIn! I look forward to connecting with you soon!