Home Sweet Home I was born and raised in New England with the old-fashioned values of thrift, education, hard work and no-nonsense responsibility. My family valued outdoor recreation and instilled in me a lifelong love of the woods and mountains. When I was 20, I traveled to Colorado and fell in love with the west. I moved there full-time, paying for my backcountry adventures as a painting contractor. Eight years later I met my future wife Patricia (SoLaMeé). She and I decided Idaho was a great place to start a family, so we moved to Boise in 1985. Soon we were married and had our son Harry and daughter Tierney. By 1990, we wanted to return to the simpler, quieter lifestyle of a small mountain town and moved our family of four to Teton Valley, population 3,500. We quickly came to love the community. |
Creating Fulfillment After 15+ years in the construction trades, I decided working on single family residential projects wasn't for me. I wanted to contribute more to the world around me. I resolved to become an architect and enrolled at the University of Idaho at the age of 37. Monthly 600+ mile round trips from Moscow to Tetonia kept the family connected as much as possible. I finished my five-year professional architecture degree in a little over three years. I received several awards in the process and graduated first in my class. My goal was to contribute in the public sector, and in my new career as an architect, I helped solve planning and design problems for many hospital boards, school boards, and local governments. Some of my early projects at Plan One Architects were renovations for St. John's Hospital, the Pinedale School District and the Town of Jackson. |
Achieving Success I obtained my first Architect’s license in 2000. I was then asked to become a partner in Plan One in 2002, and opened the firm's Idaho office in Driggs later that year. We employed eight full time staff, and served a mostly public sector market over a multi-state area. Our significant Teton Valley contributions included the new Teton County Courthouse, the Driggs City Center, the Teton Middle School, US Bank branches in Driggs and Victor, and the Teton Geotourism Center. We also developed major regional projects such as the INL's Energy Innovation Laboratory in Idaho Falls, and many other public projects totaling well over $100 million in value. We received five LEED awards and recognition from Engineering News Record for the Best Project in the Intermountain Area and the Best Green Project in the U.S. |
Serving Community Outside my career, I have a long history of community service. I am proud to have served roles with:
I currently serve on the boards of the Teton Valley Foundation and Valley Advocates for Responsible Development. My wife SoLaMeé and I live in the valley’s north end. While retirement in Teton Valley has its rewards, I'm ready to deepen my commitment to our community as a County Commissioner. |