About Me

This will be my 35th year teaching science and my 9th year at Legacy.  My Florida certifications are for Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Agriculture.  I am a biologist at heart, but enjoy the physical sciences also.  I have appreciated over the years when students return from college thanking me for preparing them.  I am extremely proud of my past students that are now doctors, nurses, or engineers, for many of whom I was their only science teacher.

As for my family, mst of you know that my wife died suddenly of a heart attack here at school 2 years ago. We had two daughters. This year my older daughter will make me a grandpa for the first time. The baby girl is due September 1st. Both of my daughters live in the Greenville, SC area.

I also have been interested in Marine Science for years.  My family would normally take our vacation at the beach. My dad saw to it that we were educated while on vacation.  We took a trip on a shrimp boat, we seined the inlet river, we collected live sand dollars (now illegal), and we listened to talks about turtles and the marsh lands.  This led me to an interest in keeping some of these organisms.  I started my first saltwater aquarium in 1985.  A lot has changed in the aquarium industry since that time.  The understanding of the biological filtration and water movement has increased immensely.  I am a member of our local Reef Club.  I was  the secretary for ORCA (Orlando Reef Caretakers Association) and then became the president.  A side-note:  ORCA donated the 300 gallon aquarium in the Legacy lobby.  With this passion, I have appreciated the opportunity to teach Marine Science. The club is now known as OREO (Orlando Reef Educators Organization).

This year we have the opportunity to spread our wings a little bit with our Agricultural classes using the aquaponics system that has been set up on the school property. Just as the students maintain our 300 gallon aquarium, they will help to maintain the aquaponics system.

Additionally, Legacy has allowed me to take the seniors on a Senior Trip each year.  We normally go to New York City or Washington D.C.  Every year the trip is a little different as the seniors are a little different.  I try to customize the trip for the seniors that are going.

Six years ago, I started a soccer program at Legacy; we now have both a boys team and a girls team.  I have been coaching soccer for awhile.  While I was in Michigan, my boys' teams won 7 state championships (MACS--Michigan Association of Christian Schools) while my girls' teams won 9 straight state championships (MACS).  I thoroughly love the sport and feel as though I can teach anyone how to play.  Of course, it is up to the individual players to put in the practice time to get better.