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Health is one of my most important personal interests. Though I am not a fanatic I try to eat healthy and exercise regularly. I get the most enjoyment when exercise is part of my normal day and I either walk or ride a bike to work, or walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. When that is not possible I jog on a track at the neighborhood middle school, and go the community fitness center and work the machines. Diet is also an important part of my health. I make my daughter and myself a healthy lunch every day and cook with fresh ingredients for our evening meals. In addition I am an avid tennis player, love to spent time on the Congaree River in a canoe, and hiking in the Congaree Swamp National Monument. |
| I love to work with my hands whenever possible to balance out the work that I do with my head in my normal job. I have bought two old houses and enjoy fixing them up. My wife Pamela does the design work, picking out the furniture, material, and colors. I do the hands-on implementation work. I know how to do all kinds of home repairs like carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and heating. The only skilled trade that I have always had trouble with is bricklaying. I am fortunate to have a very large cabinetmaking shop where I can keep all my tools and work on my many projects. While in college I worked for a couple of years as a car mechanic. My specialty was changing out the clutches in both Nissan and Toyota cars. Today I still like to work on my own cars, but glad that I am no longer covered in grease every day. I also like to work in the yard cutting the grass, raking leaves, and landscaping. In the future I would like to do more gardening and growing our own food, but right now I am just not able to make the time. |  |
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I am a lifelong learner and love to get exposed to and learn new things, both through volunteering my time and taking formal classes. In my volunteer work I have done a lot of tutoring of both math and reading over the years. In 2000 I founded a small non-profit organization that provides small libraries to unserved communities in Honduras. In the past I spent a lot of time feeding and mentoring the homeless but found that I enjoy working with children much better since there is a higher probability of making a difference in their lives. I have more degrees than anyone I know and continue to pursue more, though it is not about the degree but about the learning that occurs. I am hoping that my leadership by example rubs off on my daughter Leslie. I would love to see her go into the Peace Corps or something similar after college, and chose a career that makes difference in the world as well as a paycheck. |
| I love to attend plays, musicals, concerts, and fine arts shows. I have the utmost respect for those people that have followed their dreams and passions and continued in the arts rather than do the safe thing and get a corporate job like I did. When in the presence of performing artists I get this euphoric feeling that is hard to describe but allows me to connect with their energy and passion. This is one reason that our family likes to travel to New York City. There we find a dense population of idealists that are chasing their dreams instead of money and we can feel the energy that comes from being around them. |  |
 | I have a special professional interest in Solar Energy. In the early 80’s I designed and built solar hot water heating systems and passive solar sun spaces to work my way through college. I was also involved with solar energy education and taught an ongoing class at the South Carolina Free University and organized a community workshop at Midlands Technical College called “Save Energy, Save Money”. After gasoline prices fell the momentum in the solar energy movement waned until recently. Last year I renewed my activities and taught a workshop at the South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. I have also been working on a middle school solar energy curriculum as part of a research project at the University of South Carolina department of Physics and Astronomy. The thing I like most about teaching and learning about solar energy is that it puts me in touch with the natural energy processes by which our universe sustains itself. |
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(January, 2011)