"I was born and raised in a small farm town in Iowa. I earned a BS in Biology from the University of Northern Iowa and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Iowa. Did a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco in the Department of Neurology. This was the time during which I developed a love of wine and spent much time traveling to the wine country and learning all I could. I have always been very close to my family and enjoy cooking and hosting dinner parties for my friends. I love to travel with my wife and 3 children. I am a very devoted husband and father, and the birth of my daughter with Down syndrome really changed my life. I am most proud of my family.

I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters, all of whom are older. My mother and father separated when I was 6 months old. My mother and I moved to the town where my Grandmother and Grandfather lived and they were very influential in my life. I met my wife when we were lab partners in a biology class and we have been married for 30 years. Besides the birth of my children, some of my fondest memories have been of the time that my wife and I lived in San Francisco. We did a lot of traveling, going out to symphonies and ballets, dining out, hiking and bike riding through beautiful areas like Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, etc. We made 3 trips to Hawaii, weekend trips to San Diego, Seattle, snow skiing, Victoria, British Columbia, Mexico, beaches, etc. I have spent a lot of vacation time in Colorado where my family has a cabin that my grandparents purchased the same year I was born. One of the best nights of my life was when my daughter with Down syndrome was named Homecoming Queen at her high school. I heard so many stories from teachers and parents about how much she was loved, how sweet she was to everyone, and what an inspiration she was to all."