Jet Engine Mechanic

I entered the US Air Force when I was 17 years old, doing basic training at Lakeland AFB in Texas. I attended technical school at Chanute AFB in Illinois. My first duty station was Homestead AFB in Florida, 30 minutes south of Miami. After three years, I took another assignment at Moody AFB in Valdosta, Georgia. Unfortunately I really finished my military career at Fort Gordon Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia.

College

I graduated from the Univeristy of Wisconsin - Green Bay with degrees in Geography and Regional Analysis (with and Emphasis in Land Use Planning). I developed an passion for geography and enjoy making maps (cartography). While there I was able to use do some work with PC ArcInfo 3.5, the beginning of my career.

GIS

While at UWGB, I interned at Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission as a cartographer and planning assistant. Fortunately, we switched from paper maps to GIS, also PC ArcInfo 3.5.

I left Bay-Lake and joined Geographic Systems Corp as a GIS Project Consultant, which didn't last long.

I luckily was able to find employment at American Digital Cartography in Appleton, WI. Although, starting out in marketing, I was able to quickly move into programming ArcInfo Workstation to convert goverment and private digital data sources for use in AutoCAD and other GIS/CAD formats. Working my up to Director of Technical Services.

I was "swayed" into moving to Earth Tech in Sheboygan, WI and for 7 years worked as a GIS Analyst. Although I was unfortunate in the supervisors I had to work for, I was able to have a sense of pride with the GeoBase program. Starting in October of 2001, I worked at Langley AFB in Hampton, VA as part of Operation Enduring Freedom for almost three months. After that, I was called on to help support GeoBase offices at Langley AFB - VA, Ellsworth AFB - SD, Nellis AFB - NV,  Beale AFB -  CA,  Shaw AFB -  SC,  Seymour  Johnson  AFB -  NC,  and  Whiteman AFB - MO.

I then did a brief employment at McMahon Associates in Neenah, WI. I worked mainly on Stormwater managment plans and enjoyed the company, but felt I needed a change from the Engineering/Consulting side of GIS.

I currently work at the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin in Keshena, WI. I work in the Community Development department as the GIS Coordinator. After six months, I have been enjoying developing the GIS program form ground up and finally have a sense of pride in the career that sort of chose me.