Embracing change is the key to remaining green and growing. Sometimes the path I have traveled took me to strange and unpredictable places, but I have always learned things that have prepared me for what comes next. It is important to set your goals high enough to challenge yourself while still providing a sense of accomplishment regardless of the outcome.

My Place In The Universe

Hubble Space Telescope

From early in my career I realized I needed projects that aimed for a higher purpose. Something more inspiring than building a new consumer product or creating some cool new app. It had to be something to ignite my imagination. Something that could change the world and how we see ourselves in it. Admittedly, that is a very high bar but I was able to achieve is several times throughout my career in aerospace.

As I was leaving college I sought out work in the aerospace industry since I had always been a reader of futurists like Isaac Asimov, and the concept of working on projects that sent both people and robots out in to space excited me. I found that having a big picture objective like exploring new planets balanced out the tedium of debugging code and writing documentation. I still remember the day I started work on the Hubble Space Telescope program to create a new camera that would be installed during a Space Shuttle Servicing Mission. It seemed too good to be true, and in many ways it was. My first project developed a new infrared camera called NICMOS which was followed by the Advanced Camera for Surveys, Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and the 3rd Wide Field Camera. These projects spanned 10 years of my aerospace career. I started as a Software Developer and moved into Software Project Management and eventually Systems Engineering. Working on the Hubble program remains the highlight of my career, and it positioned me for many new and exciting projects to come.

Kepler Space Telescope

One of those projects was the Kepler Space Telescope. The mission was to search for habitable planets in other solar systems that were light years away from our own. It definitely fed my need for a higher purpose plus it allowed me to branch into a Systems Engineering role leading the development of the Fault Detection & Protection system for the Kepler mission. Not only was the Kepler satellite highly complex in its design and mission, but it also would sit in an orbit that few satellites had achieved before. The ability for the satellite with its payload to protect itself while out of contact with the Earth was critical to mission success, and I was proud to lead that effort within my company.

Stretching Myself

“Don’t Call Me" - The Movie

Years back a close friend approached me about making a movie. Since I like to try new and unusual things, I said, "Sure, why not?" Little did I know what that meant in terms of actually making a movie and the long term impact it would have on my career. It started out as two people with an idea; built up into a team of almost 40 people including actors, camera and sound people, crew, vendors, and a host of others; and ended with a completed feature length film.

Being the Executive Producer of a movie became one of those "if I knew then what I know now" experiences, I'm not sure I would have done it. I have never worked harder, put in longer hours, or been exposed to more challenges in my life. At the time it felt like I was running the gauntlet but in hindsight I learned so much about motivating people, controlling costs (especially when you're spending your own money), and holding to a tight schedule. Little did I know I would learn more about project management in a few months by making a movie than I would after years of working on software development projects. My movie making experience helped set me up to successfully manage multi-million dollar development programs later in my career.

Giving Back to the Future

Colorado Youth At Risk

Giving back to my community is a value I have held most of my adult life. I have been helped by many people throughout the years, which has provided me with a blessed and fortunate existence. I got involved with Colorado Youth At Risk in 2011 as a mentor to a young man named Jamal. He taught me a lot about the challenges today's youth face, which only cemented my passion for helping young people create a positive and successful future for themselves, their families, and their communities. I continue to support CYAR as a group leader to new mentors and their youth and as a member of their Evaluation Committee for determining program effectiveness. I had the honor in 2015 of being awarded the Circle Award for Outstanding Volunteers.

Colorado Science & Engineering Fair

Technology is fundamental to our present and future. I started judging at the Colorado State and Science Fair in 2003 to fulfill my passion for ensuring Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) are promoted in our schools. I have been constantly amazed at what our youth can do when property challenged, motivated and supported. In addition to judging I am proud to say I have been a significant donor to this organization to ensure its future success.

Appreciating History & Culture

Belgian Heritage Foundation

I grew up on a small dairy farm in northeast Wisconsin, which happens to be one of the largest Belgian settlements outside of Belgium. The experience of being raised on a farm taught me not to fear hard work and growing up in a small, tight-knit town made me appreciate the value of community and knowing where I come from.

Our small community had a local church that was the center of cultural activity during my childhood. Sadly, that small church was not able to sustain itself financially over the years. The good news is that my home town rallied to convert that church into the Belgian Heritage Center, which is becoming a focal point for collecting artifacts and maintaining an archive for future generations.

Tibetan Village Project

In 2012 a friend of mine approached me about sponsoring a Tibetan college student. The program helps Tibetan students attend university who might not get that opportunity due to insufficient financial means. As I learned more about that program as well as the Tibetan Village Project overall, I started to appreciate the value of helping sustain and protect the Tibetan culture and their unique way of life.

In 2015 I was able to travel to Tibet where I met the student I sponsor along with a host of truly friendly and amazing people. That turned out to be a transformational experience for me and helped me learn how much we share with people and cultures that, on the surface, might seem strange and alien to us. It was a great lesson that people around the world have more in common than not.

Protecting Our Home

Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite

Other projects I've worked that have special importance to me deal with measuring atmospheric and climate changes that impact the Earth. One project is the Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite (OMPS) that was developed to ensure compliance to the Montreal Protocol on Ozone. OMPS monitors the ozone layer which protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet light that damage DNA in plants and animals (including humans) leading to skin cancer. I am privileged to have been part of a team whose objective was to help protect our celestial home.