Curiosity from the start.
I’ve been making, disassembling, and reassembling things since I can remember. My favorite toys growing up were wooden blocks, LEGO, Construx, and anything else that could turn from a pile of pieces into a cool car or complex building. Most high school kids skip school to go find trouble. I used to skip school to build mechanisms, carve wood, and watch Macgyver and New Yankee Workshop. Not only did this foster a love of science and engineering at an early age, but also an intense interest in art and process. I spent my high school years bouncing between the art studio and math and science labs. My formative years were spent solving math and geometry problems, creating stage masks, printing and making video in the industrial lab, shooting and processing photography, and creating artistic and technical drawings.
Near the end of high school, a friend and I decided to turn my tiny S10 pickup into a monster. That summer we installed a Chevy 350 and TH400 transmission into the truck. We both had experience from part time jobs at a boat marina, a car dealership and a heavy equipment company so the tools, knowhow, and work ethic were already in place. Add in a little courage to start and the rest was easy. A few months later I had one powerful pickup and bug for making things work, that to this day, I can’t shake. From there my path to pursuing an engineering degree was solidified.
I attended Northeastern University for my BS in Mechanical Engineering. Not only was the schooling formative, but the co-op program there got me valuable insight into R&D engineering at Waters Corporation which further solidified my chosen career path. Upon graduating I started at Sikorsky Aircraft as a mechanical engineer and thus began my professional journey. While working at Sikorsky I also attended the University of New Haven where I completed my MBA. Working toward this degree really opened my eyes to what brings me a sense of accomplishment in what I do. It showed me that engineering was just one piece of the puzzle. It made me realize when all disciplines can come together behind a common goal with focus and purpose, that is when your business can thrive. The ultimate in making things work.