When you grow up in a family where everyone has an opinion, it can’t be too surprising for some family members to end up sharing those opinions. In my family, arguing was a sport. My dad taught all us kids to “debate” each other and by the time we were twelve or thirteen we could take either side in an argument and still maintain our respectability.
Along with having an opinion, my dad taught us to put our money where our mouth is and be prepared to act if we offered an opinion. He wasn’t fond of whiners. He always said “Whiners are complainers without solutions!” “If you have a problem with something, then tell me how you would make it better!”
Old Dad could never be sure we had any sense, but complaining without offering solutions is a waste of time for everyone.
My Dad lived a life of community service and he taught me the value of service early in my life. I joined the Jaycees in 1969 and have been involved in service in one form or another since. I served on the Snohomish City Council during the first eight years of the 1990′s and was appointed to the City Planning Commission thereafter and still serve today.
During my years on the city council I was elected Mayor three times and represented the city when Snohomish County Tomorrow was first started. I was elected to the position of Vice-Chair from 1993 thru 1995.
I was a candidate for Snohomish County Council in 2009. I did not prevail.
For 25 years, Noreen (my wife) and I owned and operated The HUB, a drive-in restaurant in Snohomish. When it closed in 2010 I shifted my day job to real estate sales working at Century 21 North Homes Realty in Snohomish.
In addition to my work with the city, I am also a member of the Snohomish Kiwanis Club. We do great work serving the needs of kids in Snohomish and around the world.
