What are your primary job responsibilities?

Enterprise level agency planning, human resources and VIP account management.

Why did you choose the MS-RMI Program at FSU?

After working in the agency for about two years straight out of college, I knew I liked the industry. I felt intellectually unchallenged in my work environment though, which at the time was on the personal lines floor as an account executive/CSR. I knew I had agency management responsibilities ahead of me, and the MS-RMI program seemed like it would both equip me with tremendous practical skills and quench my intellectual thirst at the same time.

How did your graduate education help shape your professional experiences?

My graduate education has armed me with a well-balanced understanding of the industry (retail versus product versus underwriting versus claims) that I employ every single day. Having the knowledge on the academic background on how rates are derived, why rate cycles are delayed and always behind the curve, and other behind the scenes industry workings is powerful.

What did you like best about pursuing an MS-RMI degree from FSU?

I finally had an excuse for my lifelong rabid Seminole fandom. That and the practical knowledge that was imparted on me.

How has working in your industry changed the way you look at the world?

Working in the insurance industry has bred a keen awareness of the financial implications and risks of just about any undertaking. You learn to think about what can happen, what will likely happen and what can be done to maximize outcomes.

How have you stayed connected to the FSU MS-RMI Program?

Yes. It’s an honor to give back as much as I can. I have participated in student mentoring and the annual Intercollegiate Insurance Sales Challenge. My agency has also developed a summer internship program that focuses solely on FSU students, several of whom we hired after graduation. Recruiting from the FSU RMI program is a no-brainer for us, as RMI students are always peak performers.

Who do you look to for inspiration?

My daughter – I find today’s world to be the antithesis of inspirational more often than not. To observe the innocence, curiosity and budding potential of young children is both reinvigorating and inspirational to me.

Who do you admire and why?

I admire Newt Gingrich and former President George W. Bush. Both are men that led through compromise and bicameral cooperation. They embody values and ideals that I identify with, and they employ a style that is truly stately versus today’s hatred and anger.

How do you handle work-life balance?

Work-life balance is best handled by forcing a separation between the two. It’s becoming ever increasingly difficult with modern technology, but making sure there is cellphone and laptop free-time is crucial. I have a double challenge with this, as my wife is by business partner in the agency. We often succeed, but sometimes we fail too. It’s all about blocking time in the evening and on weekends where there is just a total refusal to engage in work-related activity or conversation. Sometimes that means accepting that the whole to-do list just gets done a little bit later than planned. Nearly always, the net effect is zero.

What would someone be surprised to learn about you?

I am an Instrument Rated Private Pilot with my High Performance and Complex endorsements.

Best piece of advice you’ve received?

Those who fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

What are your success habits?

Being intentionally resourceful and making things happen for me rather than allowing them to happen to me.

What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?

My daughter and money. Seeing her smile every morning gives purpose to the insanity known as this world. As well, many people say it’s uncouth to admit to being money-motivated. I disagree wholeheartedly. One needs money to support one’s lifestyle. If I want to have fun and do the things that I enjoy when I’m not working, it takes earnings!

What is one characteristic your co-workers dig about you and one that drives them crazy about you?

I believe my coworkers most respect my resourcefulness and problem-solving abilities. Conversely, they wish I wasn’t so verbose!

If you were tasked with designing a new course at FSU for all students to take, what would it be?

What books/articles would you assign? Human Relations in the Social Media Era. I’d assign studies of Hobbs, Locke and Alexis de Tocqueville. We’ve gone off the rails in the last 15 years, and when social media platforms become legitimized as primary new sources and conventional history is a lost topic, it’s time to get back on track. I’d be purposeful to assign study of the history of both the victors and losers throughout time, but not replace one with the other.