How long have you worshiped at Saint Philip’s?
Since 2010.

Were you raised in a faith tradition?
I was raised as a Roman Catholic. I found my way to the Episcopal church when my wife, Brigid, began worshiping at Saint Philip’s.

What about the Episcopal church speaks to you?
I really appreciate that it encourages us to ask questions and have discussions that explore how we interpret scripture.

What about Saint Philip’s appeals to you?
It is a very friendly community. I also appreciate that everyone I volunteer with is motivated and committed to doing what’s best for the parish and community.

How have you been involved at Saint Philip’s?
One of my first volunteer activities was to accept Tom Cross’ invitation to serve as Chair of the Stewardship Committee. He then asked me to help raise money to install the labyrinth that’s on the south end of campus.

I also served on the Finance Committee and the Buildings & Grounds Committee, and as Chair of Saint Philip’s Church Growth Study.

You’ve been busy the past two years with new projects, too.
That’s right. In 2023, Fr. Robert asked me to help create a strategic plan for Saint Philip’s and facilitate its implementation. We’re now in the process of updating it.

For the past few years, I’ve worked on what’s known as Saint Philip’s 3RM Facility Expenditure Forecast. We now have a document that lists every single item on campus that will need to be repaired, refurbished, replaced (the 3 “R”s) and maintained (the “M”)—including the expected life span of each item, so we can forecast our budget-needs dozens of years ahead.

I’m also on the Preservation & Endowment (P&E) Board. I’m busy!

What inspires you to donate so much of your time and energy?
I enjoy contributing to organizations that I belong to. And—for better or for worse—when I get involved with something I like, I do everything I can to make sure it gets done correctly.

What did you do professionally before retiring?
I started off in advanced materials research & development in aerospace and defense, and served as the program director for some major missile programs at what is now Raytheon here in Tucson.

What did you enjoy about the work?
Working in the defense industry is very important to our country and that inspired me.

I also really liked that my teams were always part of creating something new.

For example, when I served as Director of Solar Energy Systems, I was on Gabby Gifford’s Solar Energy Advisory Council to help promote the development and use of solar energy in Tucson and across the country.

Looking back, is there anything you would do differently?
I don’t know how I would have been able to change it, but the demands of my defense industry job required endless hours at work. That wouldn’t have been possible without Brigid doing such a wonderful job at home raising our four children. We were all fortunate to have her as a great mother.

What’s something you’re proud of?
My wife and kids are certainly number one on my list.

I’m also proud of being the first member of my family to earn a PhD.

Can you share some of that story?
My grandparents came to America from Poland and Czechoslovakia, and my father worked in the same steel mill where his father worked.

He started out as a blacksmith and eventually ran the maintenance crew for all the heavy machinery there. He would come home every evening and talk with great respect about the engineers who supported his crew. That influenced my decision to become a mechanical engineer.

But we had no money for college. Luckily, I won a scholarship offered by my father’s company. It was pretty much only because of that assistance that I was able to go to Carnegie Mellon University.

What’s something you’re passionate about?
Volunteering and doing a good job at whatever I’ve been asked to help with. I think my drive stems from having to work so hard to earn my doctorate. Mine wasn’t innate intelligence. It was lots and lots of hard, dogged work.

What’s one of your core values?
Honesty. I was a Boy Scout as a kid, and eventually became an Eagle Scout and summer camp counselor.

What’s something you find challenging?
Saying no! I like challenges and very often I’m asked to tackle something new that is really demanding when my plate is already full.

Can you think of a decision you made that made a real difference in your life?
Agreeing to go on a blind date arranged by my Delta Tau Delta fraternity brother. That’s how I met Brigid. What a lucky day!

What’s something you know now that your younger self didn’t?
The importance of team work. I like to collaborate and exchange ideas. Having a variety of folks from different backgrounds and with different skills can really help size up a situation and identify the best solution to a problem.

What’s one of your guiding principles?
Nothing short of right is right! I’m afraid I’m a bit of a perfectionist.

What’s something you’re grateful for?
My wife Brigid. She pretty much raised our children while I traveled for work. She advocated for them and they’ve all turned out great! During each of their careers, they have done important work helping children and their families.

What’s one of your super powers?
I’m able to combine creativity with function and logic.

Can you share an example of how that works?
A pre-requisite for my PhD was a language requirement. I asked several of my professors why that was necessary—especially given that I wanted to focus on the technical aspects of my degree. If something needed to be translated, I could simply hire someone.

They all basically said, “because we say so. ” That didn’t sit well with me, so I proposed that my foreign language be Fortran—the computer language I used.

The department head took a vote and the professors on the council agreed by a count of five to four.

I believe your introduction to golf exemplifies this, too.
Yes! My introduction to golf was a little unorthodox.

Growing up, we lived at the top of a hill and my elementary school was at the bottom. In my teens, I began to practice chipping golf balls from my yard down to the school yard. (I’m happy to report that I never broke a single school window.) I continued to practice through my junior year.

During my senior year I was asked to join the high school golf team. They needed five players but had only four. I explained that I had never been on a golf course, but they needed a body so didn’t care. I went and bought some golf shoes and lettered in golf!

How do you like to relax?
I like to travel. Brigid and I have been on a half dozen or so ocean and river cruises. We hope to take another river cruise this fall.

It’s been a long time since I read for pleasure but that’s something I’d like to resume.

What’s something you’d like to do that you haven’t yet?
I would really like to visit the home towns of my grandparents. That’s a challenge because I haven’t figured out where those towns are.

There is a Polish genealogical group here in town that I’m thinking about asking for help to research where my grandparents are from so I can visit.

What might people be surprised to learn about you?
That I’ve outlined two books I’d like to write.

One is about my family history. I’d like to leave something for my kids and grandkids on the history of my side of the family in Eastern Europe.

The other book is a primer of sorts on strategic planning.

I was Director of Strategic Planning at General Dynamics in San Diego. I have helped large and small companies, for-profits and non-profits, not just develop strategic plans, but also implement them.

I’d like to publish it so everyone can use it. It’s not brain surgery; it’s all pretty straightforward. Yet, when done correctly and implemented well, it can be transformative. And it wouldn’t be a tome!

What’s a fun fact about you?
I attended a small group, hour-long, one-on-one meeting with Jimmy Carter when he was in the White House.

During my time with General Dynamics, I was selected to participate in the President’s Executive Exchange Program. I was one of about 20 representatives from the industry sector who went to Washington to work in various government departments for a year. And likewise, about 20 government officials left the government sector and worked at various companies across the country.

The objective of the exchange program was to help participants better understand how things worked in the other sector. I gained a real appreciation for how hard government employees work at their jobs.

Part of that program each year included the participants meeting with the President. I remember President Carter being very soft spoken and low-key, yet personable, friendly, and engaging.