Leading Air Safety Investigations Around the World

My interest and passion in aviation began with my father who has a successful career in business aviation. Then, as a young grade school student at Immanuel Lutheran School in Greenville, WI, I had a friend who lost his father, the co-pilot in a commercial airplane accident. Following that tragedy, I grew a deep interest in what caused the accident that took the life of my good friend’s father. I recall watching the news and seeing these investigators with large yellow letters “NTSB” on their jackets combing through the accident site to figure out what happened. Never did I imagine then that I would be one of those investigators later in my life.

My interest in aviation continued through my high school years. I’m very grateful to Fox Valley Lutheran’s faculty and staff, who provided me with a Christ-centered Christian education which continues to guide me in my personal and professional life. To this day, I continue to maintain awesome relationships with many classmates and dear friends from FVL. During those years, I really loved the student life activities—homecomings, formals, after-school events—and participating in various athletics.

Throughout my high school and college years, I achieved multiple pilot certificates and ratings, and continued my education in the aviation field. In 1999, while in graduate school at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, I accepted a training opportunity with the NTSB in their Dallas, TX, field office.