I am a disabled veteran who volunteers a lot of my time to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, the Federation of Fly Fishers, and other causes that support and promote nature conservation, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities.  Additionally, I am a civil rights advocate with a keen interest in the rights of the disabled and the first and second amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America.  I write a news column called "Fly Fishing News" for the on-line news service, Newsvine.  I am also the editor/author of two blogs:  Ozarks Fly Anglers is my fly fishing blog and Actively disABLEd is my blog for disabled people with active lifestyles.  If I'm not working on one of these causes or writing an article for my blogs, I am probably out fishing, hunting, playing with my Weimaraner (Smoky Joe), or watching a Cardinals baseball game or NFL football game.

 

 

Before my condition got the best of me, I worked for Uncle Sam as a language translator, voice communications intercept specialist, and theater-level intelligence analyst.  After the service, I found myself in the recreational real estate business.  A by-product of that career was a career as a wingshooting guide and outfitter.  Finally, I did a stint as the national outdoor recreation advertising sales agent for the most successful advertising directory publisher in the world.  This career gave me opportunities to meet, spend time with, and learn from a lot of very impressive and influential people.  It even allowed me to teach some of them a thing or two as well.  Whether it was property management, acquisitions, operations of hunting/fishing properties, wildlife management, gun dog training, marketing, fundraising, wingshooting, clay shooting, fly fishing, backpacking, paddle sports, or wilderness survival; my forte was always thinking outside the box to create forward-leaning, win-win-win solutions to complex or entrenched problems.  I probably had my most success as an affinity marketing and co-venture fundraising facilitator.  I've also done some hunting shows on TV and been a guest several times on radio talk shows.  And I've had a large number of articles published on a wide range of topics related to outdoor recreation.

 

 

 

It all came crashing down when an old injury from the military finally made me unreliable on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis.  It took me a few years to recognize what was happening to me.  Today, I just try not to bite off more than I can chew.  And I am very grateful to be a citizen and veteran of a nation that provides for the disabled...especially those who served in the armed forces.