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My first year at Wheaton College (IL) I dropped out of football before the first game and instead concentrated on track and academics with some soccer. I married Elona before my Senior year at Wheaton and managed to graduate with high honors and a school record in track in 1963.
Returning to the Warsaw area, I taught and coached at Warsaw Christian School, Warsaw High School, and Grace College, while I finished an MA at Ball State and had two children born, Arnold and Sonya.
I returned to Wheaton in 1967 where I taught languages and then became an administrator after completing a Ph.D. in Higher Education at SUNY Buffalo (NY)in 1976. I was fired in 1983, and went to Fresno Pacific University (CA) in 1984. During one year as VP and 12 years as President of FPU we enjoyed a time of significant growth in enrollment and facilities, and high rankings in the annual US News higher education report.
I resigned the Presidency in 1997 and worked 11 years as a nonprofit organizational manager in the Fresno area, including president of Fresno United Way for 8 years. During that time Elona and I divorced, a very hard but important process for each of us.
My first book "Leadership Prayers" was published by Tyndale House (1998). It was subsequently also published in Indonesian, Spanish, and Korean, altogether totaling more than 100,000 copies. It is still selling in print and as an e-book. My most recent book, "Heads and Tails: Following and Leading in Kingdom-Formed Organizations," was published by Invite Press (2023).
Since 2001 I have been married to Peggi whose daughter Janine has three children. My daughter Sonya died in 2018 after three years fighting breast cancer. From our three children combined we have a total of 7 grandchildren and 7 great-grands. All but one live within a comfortable drive of our home in Kingsburg, a village just south of Fresno in the Great Valley agricultural region of central California.
For three years ending June 2017 I was needed as president of Fresno Pacific again when they faced a sudden and significant leadership challenge. Without any current management responsibilities, I try to get additional books and articles written and published, and I do limited management and board consulting and public presentations.
My professional and personal life continues to be centered by faith in following Jesus Christ and guided by my desire to enjoy "practicing the presence of God" in everything I do. I enjoy working out, though, after double knee replacements in 1980, I must avoid jogging and jumping. I enjoy our little vegetable garden, listening to music (from Bach and Rachmaninoff to Michael W. Smith), playing the piano, reading, internet conversations with long term friends, church, and time with Peggi and our expanding family circles.
Warsaw High School was a great experience for me, and by God's grace the years since I graduated have been full of laughter, tears, achieving life goals, traveling, satisfying service, learning life-lessons, and loving and being loved. I anticipate the wondrous next life with God that will follow this present one.
