I was born in San Antonio, Texas. My father was a core analyst and salesman, my mother was a bookkeeper and secretary. I've worked every job from concrete construction, washing dishes, and waiting tables to working at a nonprofit, serving as an ethics desk officer and running a business. I served in the United States Army as an infantryman, and deployed to Iraq twice, the 2003 tour resulting in a Purple Heart. I attended DePaul in Chicago for my bachelor’s degree, Trinity Washington in D.C. for my master’s, then fell in love in Washington, D.C. with a native Louisvillian named Catherine. We began the move back to Kentucky for work and to start a family in late 2015. We have three wonderful children: Robert, William, and Emily. I went to work with my wife’s family in restaurants and real estate across the region, and am currently the Vice President of that company - Druther’s. During the pandemic, I started a MBA at the University of Louisville, which I completed the coursework for in August 2022. I also wrote a book of poems called The Bracken Road, and am helping produce a documentary film about my friend Steven Fromholz, called The Man with the Big Hat, and a documentary series about my friend Shawn Phillips. I round out my time by serving as Chairman of the Board of the World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana, a Board Member with the Austin, Texas nonprofit Three Chords and the Truth, as well as producing films and content with the newly-formed Flintlock Pictures, founded by actor and friend John Hensley.