My Biography
My parents and I moved to Tehachapi after the end of WWII. My father worked at the Monolith Portland Cement Plant, which is now known as the Lehigh Cement Plant, and then started his own business. He retired as Sales Manager for Kieffe & Sons Ford. When I attended grammar school it was called the Monolith Grammar School. I vividly remember the great earthquake of 1952 and the devastation wrought on downtown Tehachapi. My favorite things about Tehachapi are the mountains, the weather, we are located mid-state and we have no smog.
Growing Up In Tehachapi, CA.
I went to Tehachapi High School. As a proud Tehachapi Warrior with the likes of classmates and team members Dan Cronin and Tom Killingsworth (who remain my friends to this day), I played and lettered in three years of Varsity Football under Coach Austin Jordan and played and lettered in three years of Varsity Basketball under Coach Chuck Ferrari. I worked while I was in high school, for Jake Jacobsen, with Dick Robinson another classmate; his father was the foreman on the ranch. I also worked for Don Carroll and Mr. Bisby, who owned the pear orchard. Mr. Jacobsen, Mr. Carroll and Mr. Bisby were all local ranchers and farmers and you can still see their names on properties, communities and street signs today.
These were summer jobs where we would work 12-hour days and I was paid all of $1.00 per hour, but gasoline was only 20 cents per gallon then so $1.00 per hour was good money for a high school kid. This was money needed for the next school year, so I learned to save my money. Of course, we loved our cars and cruising, so we worked to earn the extra money for the gasoline. The work ethic instilled in me at this young age has benefited me tremendously all through my life. The mentoring from the above named gentlemen, along with the work ethic, has been equally as valuable as my formal education.
The Burger Spot was the local hangout where we could get a burger and a coke for 50 cents. We didn’t have the chain restaurants back then. We could buy a couple of gallons of gas for 40 cents. That was enough to cruise around town on a Friday and Saturday night. We went to the movies at the old Bee Kay Theatre where we could watch a movie, get a coke and popcorn all for 50 cents. And…buy gas with the rest of our dollar for cruising. We liked to cruise. Think of the movie American Graffiti about life in Modesto in the early 60’s and that’s pretty much the way things were for the kids in Tehachapi. We could have a blast on a buck and these were happy times.
When I was growing up Tehachapi was a basic farming community. My family shopped for groceries at the Town & Country Market owned by the Mitchell’s and located close to where the Hitching Post Theatre is located now. Or my Mom would go the C & P Market, owned by Crowell and Palmer, and was located where the current Moose Lodge is today, of which by the way, I am a member.
After graduating from Tehachapi High School, I enrolled at Antelope Valley College where I lettered in Varsity football for two years. I then spent one year in Vietnam in 1966 serving proudly with the 7th Calvary, 1st Calvary Division while assigned to Military Advisory Command Vietnam, also called MACV. Upon completion of my tour and discharge, I returned to Southeast Asia working for a private company as a Logistics and Security Consultant and liaison with the American Forces. I learned to approach life and its issues with the solid integrity with which I served my country. I learned to be a man, to live with the courage of my convictions, to honor and respect the abiding principles our founding fathers bequeathed to us as a nation and as free and equal individuals. I learned that freedom is not free and that there is a cost, not only in money but also in lives. I learned freedom of political speech, the rule of law and our manifest rights are what keep us strong as nation and a free people. This has been one of my strongest abiding philosophies.
Upon returning to the States I began working for Lloyd’s Bank in the international banking division in Los Angeles in liaison with the Federal Government for many years, and over the years, went to many different countries. I continued my college education with in-service academy’s and continuing education courses. Even though I earned a BS in Business Administration, I came to realize that education comes in many forms. Equally important was my education in travel, being among diverse cultures, hands-on experience, and being blessed with having great mentors along the way.
Coming Home
I left the banking business and built my own construction and cement business and partnered in real estate business ventures. I worked in these businesses for fifteen years before selling my interests to move back to Tehachapi to be near my elderly parents. I am proud to say that I was called back into service by the federal government in the aftermath of the Northridge Earthquake to assist the victims in obtaining food, water and housing, and to obtain loans for reconstruction.
I have taken the time to reflect on many an occasion during my lifetime and ultimately found that I have formed many philosophies that have carried me through some very tough times and I discovered that I had the strength to fight for the men, women, and families who do not possess the time or knowledge to fight for themselves. I view this as my job as a public servant, to fight on behalf of the citizens of Kern County and make a positive difference in their area and their way of life.
I am coming upon my fourth year as a city council member. I have learned quickly through diligence and hard work and my many years in the private sector as a manager and small business owner has served me well. The principles of doing your homework and being prepared still apply and one of my grounding principles is, “A plan is only as good as its’ execution.”
Half of my constituents in the 2nd District live in Bakersfield. This Great Recession has hit their area equally hard. My desire to best serve my community has never faltered and I will serve and represent the entire 2nd District for their needs as we all pull out of this Great Recession. This is 2010 and jobs are of the highest concern right now along with water and clean energy issues. I am not a professional politician but, as a citizen and business man, I see clearly what needs to be done and I have the strength and drive to get the job done.
