Leadership

I was born, raised, and educated in Racine, Wisconsin, where my early interest in community life and public service first took shape. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, followed by graduate work in public health at the University of Minnesota and public administration at Minnesota State University, Mankato. A post-graduate fellowship in community health at the University of Oregon brought me to the Pacific Northwest, where I ultimately built a 45-year career in teaching, research, and the design and operation of health care delivery systems.

Throughout my career, I’ve remained deeply committed to community engagement. I’ve served as a volunteer firefighter, city clerk, Red Cross instructor, and medical volunteer in Mexico with LIGA International of Loma Linda University. My governance experience includes chairing and serving on boards for community health organizations, a county health board, a migrant worker FQHC, a county budget committee, a health workers’ credit union, Habitat for Humanity, and the Sheriff’s Advisory Board. I’ve also been active in professional associations in public health and health administration, and I’m a long time member of Rotary International.

Beyond my professional work, I’m a father and grandfather, and I’ve cultivated an abiding interest in American social history. I’ve researched and lectured on mid-19th-century military medicine and pharmacy, as well as the business and logistical structures of the 18th-century North American fur trade—subjects that continue to inspire my curiosity.

Today, I devote my time to family, hobby travel, historical research, and ongoing community service, bringing a lifetime of experience in health systems, governance, and public service to my board work.

I grew up as the youngest of five children in Skowhegan, Maine, until my family moved to Santa Rosa, California in 1962. My childhood was filled with outdoor adventures—fishing, hunting, and picnics in Armstrong Redwoods—and I stayed busy showing animals in the FFA and playing football and wrestling in high school. One of my fondest memories from those years was having lunch at Charles Schulz’s ice skating rink.

After graduating, I joined the U.S. Army in 1980 as a diesel mechanic. I later served in the Oregon National Guard as a chaplain’s assistant before rejoining the Army and being stationed near Stuttgart, Germany. In 1987, a tank accident severely injured my left foot, leading to nine months in a military hospital and a medical retirement. That, along with other traumatic events—including witnessing a fatal industrial accident—contributed to long term PTSD that I didn’t fully understand at the time.

I went on to work for the USDA as a meat inspector, but by 1999 I realized I was coping with stress through gambling. After several unsuccessful treatment attempts, I found lasting recovery through faith. My final bet was on October 25, 2002. Around that time, my friendship with Victoria grew into something deeper, and we married on April 25, 2003—the best day of my life.

In 2007, I helped co found Our Father’s Porch, a faith-based nonprofit serving people experiencing homelessness.

I joined the Bridgeway Board in 2011, moved briefly to Colorado, and returned to Salem in 2018, where I continue to serve.

My life has been shaped by resilience, faith, recovery, and a commitment to helping others—values I bring to my work every day.

I come from large, hardworking families rooted in English, Austrian, German, Polish, and Swedish ancestry, shaped by Roman Catholic faith, entrepreneurship, and generations of musicians, miners, soldiers, and small business owners. My great grandparents founded our community’s general store in the early 1900s, and my first home was the old hotel across the tracks. Growing up in a rural orchard community taught me simplicity, discipline, and the value of showing up for others — lessons that continue to guide my leadership today.

My early life was marked by both joy and loss. My father, a Vietnam SeaBee electrician, died when I was three, and our family weathered additional tragedies with resilience and unity. Despite hardship, my childhood was rich with curiosity, music, space exploration, and strong academic performance. Those experiences shaped my commitment to responsibility, stewardship, and long-term thinking.

Professionally, I’ve built a career grounded in financial discipline, operational clarity, and organizational accountability. I approach governance through the lens of sustainability: aligning mission with resources, strengthening fiscal oversight, and ensuring that strategic decisions support both people and performance. My leadership style is informed by the values handed down through generations — humility, gratitude, and a belief that communities thrive when decisions are made with integrity and care.

As a board member, I bring a blend of personal resilience, multigenerational perspective, and practical financial acumen. I am committed to safeguarding organizational health, supporting executive leadership, and ensuring that the choices we make today strengthen the future for the people we serve — including my own children and grandchildren, who inherit the outcomes of every decision.

Over a few decades, I gained experience in behavioral health operations, therapeutic programming, trauma-informed care, and organizational quality improvement, across hospital, residential, and state systems. I began my career at one of the first federally funded community mental health centers, advancing from psych aide to directing therapeutic recreation, volunteer services, and media communications; while actively contributing to departmental and facility QA/PI and compliance efforts.

Oregon called and I hit the trail to open Salem Hospital’s Psychiatric Medicine Center’s adult, acute inpatient program, and later outpatient and day hospital psychiatric services. Over those 19 years, we individualized program services and had multiple positive patient experience initiatives. My subsequent work with Cascadia Bridgeway, Marion County residential corrections, and Oregon State Hospital expanded my knowledge in system transitions, team development, and gave me an in-depth knowledge of state and federal standards and regulations.

My board governance perspective is rooted in trauma-informed leadership, regulatory excellence, and disciplined oversight. The board must champion psychological safety, transparency, empowerment, and collaborative decision making — creating a healing environment for those we serve.

Born and raised in Sweden, I lived and worked in England a few years before moving to the United States in 1991. My international and cross-cultural experiences have shaped the way I approach public safety, behavioral health, and community wellbeing.

Since joining the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in 2000, my career has focused on rehabilitation, diversion, and behavioral-health-aligned programs. I have served in Drug Court, Student Opportunity for Achieving Results (SOAR) program, the Mental Health Unit, and helped launch Marion County’s Mental Health Court. My leadership experience also includes serving as a SWAT negotiator and peer support team member/leader.

As a Lieutenant, I oversee prison diversion and re-entry programs grounded in trauma-informed, stability-focused approaches. I’m passionate about creating pathways that connect people with the support and resources they need to successfully transition back into the community. I stay actively engaged through community outreach and partnerships that strengthen re-entry outcomes and promote long-term recovery.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, staying active outdoors, and connecting with the Oregon community I’ve proudly called home for more than three decades.