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Life is a wonderful journey and I have experienced many new things: Upon graduating, I attended EWU and worked at Lennys for six years & Cheney Parks & Rec as their DJ. On Aug 25, 1985, I married a great lady, Trish Flatbush, who is a Lewis & Clark graduate. When I graduated with a BA in Radio/TV, I joined the US Navy as a Broadcast Journalist. I picked up many skills in writing and TV/Radio production. I also continued my DJ'ing working the clubs.
I traveled to many places throughout the world including a small island in Indian Ocean in Diego Garcia in 1990 (Reason why I couldn't make it to the 10 year). In DG I created a theme for our radio programing called Power 99 and it was used until recently. I got many good comments from a number of Airman who served in DG. While serving, I won two awards, one as producer and host of a weekly TV news program in DG, Island Insight and another as editor of Hawaii Navy News with my coverage of the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I left the active duty in January of 1994 and then went into the Naval Reserves for another four years until I completely got out.
1994 was the year I discovered the business of college textbooks. I first taught myself the business while working at 1st Street Bookstore while working for my mother-in-law, Allene Malley. During this time I kept my DJ'ing while doing Thursday Nights at Showies and later became Eagles Pub. This was also the time I did Trivia on Friday Nights. I became the Trivia Man of Cheney.
When Allene lost her battle with cancer in 1997, I got a job at Boise State University at their textbook manager. I gained great experience in the world of textbooks and I got to apply my management knowledge from school. Boise is a great city, but it wasn't Cheney. So when someone from Houghton Mifflin Publishing contacted me about working for them in 1999, I agreed and started rep'ing for a college textbook company. The money was good and I enjoyed talking with college professors everyday. I learned so much from all different disciplines. During this time in 2001, I wrote a sci-fi novel called Fire in the Fourth Dimension, which is about a couple who travels back in time to the Spokane fire in 1889. It was fun to write and I plan on returning to it soon.
Then I saw the troubling times with Houghton Mifflin in 2004, so my wife suggested we open our own bookstore in Cheney selling textbooks. There was a need and we opened Tree of Knowledge Bookstore. We are very much liked by the students and faculty, but the campus bookstore doesn't like us very much...some reason. For the first time, my wife and I create a million dollar business and still growing today.
However, in 2005, I saw that businesses don't have an advantage in Cheney and are being stepped on by many organizations or ignored when making city-wide decisions. I ran for Mayor of Cheney and won over Amy Jo Souy, a two-term incumbant. After four years of getting policies in line of a positive growth in Cheney where someone who has a dream to succeed can in Cheney. It isn't perfect and I know there is still more work that is needed to be done. I wanted to continue this in my second term, but I was beat out by the person who was mayor when were seniors, Tom Trulove.
After the defeat I started another business venture in the Health and Wellness industry called Monavie where I teach others how to establish a business in a growing market that will soon be a Trillion Dollar industry.
The best experience I have achieve is marring Trish (25 years this summer) and having two great children Jessica born in Bermuda, and Nicholas, born in Hawaii. I've done many things, but one thing I have kept up since I was at Cheney High is DJ'ing. Once in a awhile you'll see me do a special DJ engagement or DJ music for a wedding reception. You should see my music collection in both vinyl and CDs. Now, my ipods are all filled up.
