After high school, my parents moved our family to Houston, Texas to share in a family-owned business with my Uncle. One by one, each of us became home sick for San Diego. A long year later, we returned to San Diego where my Mom and brothers remain today.

Returning to San Diego, I attended Cuyamaca College and San Diego Mesa College while working full-time at various jobs, including an unbelievable position at Gordon & Smith Surfboards. At that time, G&S was expanding into lifestyle clothing, skateboarding was hot again, snowboarding was just starting out and surfing, well, surfing was always cool! While working at G&S, I was exposed to the cutting-edge world of graphic design through various pro skaters, pro surfers, many talented local airbrush artists, the graphic images presented on skateboard deck and surfboards, the punk rock genre and some great art teachers. I was going to be a Graphic Designer! So…a few more classes and a lot of luck… I got a degree in Graphic Design. Now what? More crummy production artist jobs… a bunch of freelance jobs… an artist studio in the old Ratner Building where Hang 10 was once headquartered and the New School of Architecture is now the best known tenant… Boy, this art stuff is a business.  Sometime later, I dump the loft and took a position as Senior Art Director for a local Advertising and PR Agency. After 15 years as a beach bum surfer, a designer and art director, I decided to give up the creative side of graphic arts, settle down, and concentrate on the emerging technologies in the commercial printing industry. During the switch from right brain to left brain activities, I managed to marry a wonderful girl in 1990; witness the birth of our son in 1992 and finish a Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management.

Currently, I’m the e-Business Director for a commercial offset printer in Houston. I oversee the creation of internet-based fulfillment solutions for such clients as David Weekley Homes, Stewart Title Guaranty and AIG/Valic.

In our spare time, what little we have… my family pursues their martial arts training.

We all enjoy the privilege of Black Belt status. I hold Black Belt ranks in the Korean arts of HapKiDo and TaeKwonDo. I’m currently working towards a Master Instructor rank in HapKiDo. Presently, I serve as a board member for the Intercontinental HapKiDo Federation. The federation exists to promote HapKiDo and martial arts to the world community.

Finally, when I’m not teaching or promoting HapKiDo, I enjoy vacationing with family and friends in the Hawaiian Islands or just relaxing at the family vacation condo in Del Mar and surfing San Onofre with my son.

For the next two years, I’ll continue to live in Houston with my lovely wife of 16 years, Deborah, our 14-year-old son, Matthew, and our Siberian Husky, Cisco. Our son wants to finish his high school senior year in San Diego and follow in his mother’s footsteps and attend her college Alma Mater, Cal Poly SLO. Go Mustangs! I can’t blame him…We all are home sick for San Diego and plan on returning to live, work, play and be close to family, friends and our beloved Pacific Ocean…funny how life comes full circle some 30 years later. You can always return home.

 See you at the 30th reunion!!!

(Profile written October 2006)

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