Our People

Q: What is something you can't live without? Why?
A: My wife, Maren. She's been my rock through a lot of ups and downs.

Q: What hobbies or interests do you have?
A: I love sports, comic book characters and movies, occasionally you might even find me catching a off the wall anime series, they tend to have really good story lines. Concerts & Festivals were a big deal in my younger years, but now I find myself looking for a place to sit down. In my opinion, there is nothing better than finding some really great music to vibe to.

Q: What is your passion project? What hobby (hobbies) do you pursue in your spare time?
A: Racing and Volkswagens/Porsches. Currently Restoring a 1970 VW Beetle.

Q: What advice has a mentor given you that you continue use?
A: Everyone will give you an opinion, but do what's right for you.

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
A: New Zealand. I used to live there while writing for a travel website.

Q: What is your personal mantra? What are words that you live by?
A: The world can be amazing when you're slightly strange.

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
A: Ireland! I’ve always wanted to go back to my Irish roots.

Q: When you were a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
A: I legitimately wanted to be an astronaut for a period of time, but then I later switched to a veterinarian.

Q: What is something you can't live without? Why?
A: Gratitude. It completely changes my perspective on life!

Q: If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
A: Dachshund because they make people laugh but they rule the roost and don't care that they are small.

Q: What is your passion project?
A: Raising awareness for kidney disease and advocating for patients is an ongoing passion project that I hold close.

Q: What hobbies or interests do you have? A: Mostly photography, but I'm also a serial crafter. Most recently with my vinyl cutter, a Silhouette (like a Cricut but better).

Q: What's your favorite musician or band? Where's your favorite place to jam out to them?
A: Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Shania Twain, and 90s Country will always be playing by the pool, on the lake, or at the beach, but you’ll find me sequencing my yoga classes to Glass Animals, Half Alive, and Paramore.

Q: What is your passion project? A: I love decorating my home and working on house projects in my spare time!

Q: When you were a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
A: NBA player.

Q: What is your hidden talent? A: I'm actually a really good dancer!

THE CURATOR

Q: How do you get inspired? Is there a place you go, a person you speak with, or an activity you do?
A: Inspiration usually surprises me out of the blue. It can help to find a quiet place outside away from distractions and just let my mind wander.

Always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Then always be Batman.

Q: What is your personal mantra? A: Zerstörung durch Fortschritte der Technologie (Destruction by advances in technology).

The energy of the mind is the essence of life.

Q: When you were a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
A: I wanted to take photos for National Geographic.

Q: What is your hidden talent?
A: Strategizing at Yahtzee.

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
A: Anywhere my kids are, I want to be where they are.

Q: What is your favorite book? Why?
A: Stephen King's Dark Tower series. Seven books of pure genius. (Don't let the movie version fool you.)

Great design inspires me. I crave it. I love it.

I live by 'Don’t try to be original; just try to be good' by Paul Rand.

Q: What is your personal mantra? A: If you can't be yourself, you're nobody.

Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.

Q: What is something you can't live without?
A: I can't live without my camera and a cup of coffee.

Q: What is something you can't live without?
A: Dreams.

If I could go anywhere in the world, I’d build a travel itinerary based on my Ancestory.com DNA results.

Q: What is your personal mantra? What are words that you live by?
A: "You can never tell when you've done too much but you can always tell when you haven't done enough"

Q: What is your hidden talent? A: I make really bomb chewy brownies.

Q: What is your favorite book?
A: This one is so hard. There are so many good ones, and they are relevant for different reasons at different points in your life. But the writers who always inspire me are Edwidge Danticat, Michael Ondaatje, Chang-rae Lee, Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen...

Q: What is your hidden talent? A: I'm fairly good at reading reptile body language. I'm trying to learn parrot body language now.

Q: How do you get inspired?
A: Focus on an interesting object or concept. Let your mind wander and follow the tangents to something meaningful.

Q: How do you get inspired? Is there a place you go, a person you speak with, or an activity you do?
A: My art and designs are inspired by the graphics found on vintage bicycle motocross and skateboarding clothing which I actively seek out, in addition to old
magazines and ephemera where these designs could be displayed.

I’m always trying to edit the world: That copy should be a little tighter, that menu item is misspelled, did anyone fact-check this movie, etc.

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
A: Poland. I visited for only a few days in 2016 and would love to spend more time in the country. The food was great (pierogis), the people were so friendly, and it was a very cost-friendly country.

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
A: I was supposed to complete my art history minor in Spain, but COVID held me back. I still plan to travel there whenever I get the chance to see their museums and caves!

Q: What are words that you live by?
A: Words matter.

Q: What is something you can't live without? Why?
A: I am a Crisis Counselor volunteer and am a passionate mental health advocate. I also love exercising and being outside whether I'm hiking, snowboarding, running or swimming.

Q: When you were a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
A: I wanted to be a deep-sea diver or a firefighter.

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
A: I'd go to the great mountain ranges to experience their natural beauty.

Q: What advice has a mentor given you that you continue to use?
A: That I was more than capable, and failure cannot be avoided, but a part of life. Learn, improve, and keep after it. You'll get there at the right time. Resilience is your super power.

Marrying powerful ideas and good design.

Q: What is your personal mantra? What are words that you live by?
A: Less is more.

Q: What is your personal mantra? What are words that you live by?
A: Go with passion

Q: What advice has a mentor given you that you continue use?
A: The day you stop learning is the day you die.

Q: What is your passion project? What hobby or hobbies do you pursue in your spare time? A: I am an active volunteer for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. I volunteer to run our region's social media pages and also to help raise future guide dog puppies. My recent guide dog puppy, Biscuit, just graduated from the program after being with me for 15 months!

Conceived by genius, achieved by dauntless resolution and unconquerable faith.
–Wright Brothers Memorial

I can’t live without TV. I’m a total couch potato and reality TV junkie.

Q: What is something you can't live without? Why?
A: I can’t live without exercise. It just feels so good!

When I’m not at work, I like to think about all the paintings I should be making.

Q: What is your personal mantra? What are words that you live by?
A: Laughter and music are like oxygen to me.

Q: What is your passion project? What hobby or hobbies do you pursue in your spare time?
A: I love all things music! I enjoy singing and playing the guitar, listening to my favorite artists, and adding to my record collection.

Q: What is your personal mantra?
A: When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. When life is bitter, say thank you and grow.

Q: What hobbies do you pursue in your spare time?
A: I've always been an avid golfer, but with three kids, most of my time now is as a dad, coach and fan for their baseball teams!

Q: We know it's hard to choose, but what would you say is your favorite book?
A: The Elements of Typographic Style

Q: What is your personal mantra? What are words that you live by?
A: “Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.” James Baldwin

Q: What is your favorite book? Why?
A: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. It is the gold standard for mystery books.

Q: Tell us a little more about yourself. A: I used to live in Kenya.

My grandfather, carrying his VHS camcorder, always fascinated me and when he let me try it, I was hooked.

Q: What is your favorite book? Why?
A: The Last Unicorn. It has the right combination of innocence, fantasy and passion for life!

There is no creative problem that cannot be solved, only creative solutions waiting to be discovered.

Q: What is your personal mantra?
A: For every seller there's a buyer.

Q: What's your favorite book? A: A History of the World in 6 Glasses. It's a fascinating tale of how beer, wine, coffee, tea, spirits and carbonated water have shaped the world as we know it.

Q: What hobbies or interests do you have?
A: Spending time with my husband & our dog as well as with family & friends, travel, reading, watching shows/movie, spending time outdoors. Also, I love personal finance!

Q: What advice has a mentor given you that you continue use?
A: When you look in the mirror, make sure you are happy with who you see.

Q: What is something you can't live without? Why?
A: My amazing family—including my one-in-a-million husband and our two amazing cats. They make every day the best day.

Q: What advice has a mentor given you that you continue use?
A: Service to others is healing and so very rewarding.

Q: What is something you can't live without? Why?
A: My two dogs! They are my daily entertainment and are as attached to each other as they are to me.

Q: What is something you can't live without? Why?
A: My son. Participating in someone's life from the moment they take their first breath is awesome!

Q: What is your personal mantra? What are words that you live by?
A: "You can never tell when you've done too much but you can always tell when you haven't done enough"

Q: What is your personal mantra?
A: Get off my lawn!

Q: What is something you can’t live without?
A: My daughter, love, and laughter…and that first sip of coffee in the still of the morning.

Q: What is something you can't live without?
A: My favorite people. Life is more fun when we are together.

A: What is something you can't live without? Why?
Q: Long blood-pressure reducing hugs from my husband and music. Music is my method of processing emotions and moving through that life event. Letting the emotions pour out while singing my heart out restores me better than anything else.

Be Brave. Be Bold. Live Passionately.

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
A: The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to experience what it is like to be the only person for tens or hundreds of miles. It would be like stepping out of our modern world.

Q: What are some words you live by?
A: Love is what remains when everything else is gone.

Q: What is your favorite book? Why?
A: Bible—guide, refuge and peace.

Q: Tell us a little more about yourself!
A: I'm a big foodie, enjoy reading non-fiction - from history to psychology - and want to do skydiving one day.

Q: What hobbies do you pursue in your spare time?
A: I love to cook and bake for family and friends. Cooking is my love language.

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
A: Way up North to reach for the Milky Way and the aurora borealis.

There is no creative problem that cannot be solved, only creative solutions waiting to be discovered.

Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody.

Q: If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
A: Cheetah (fastest animal on earth) because I can never get things done as quickly as I want to.

Q: What is your hidden talent?
A: Strategizing at Yahtzee.

Q: What is something you can't live without? Why?
A: My son. Participating in someone's life from the moment they take their first breath is awesome!

Q: What is your personal mantra?
A: Get off my lawn!

Q: What is your hidden talent? A: I'm fairly good at reading reptile body language. I'm trying to learn parrot body language now.

Q: The Hobbit or Harry Potter?
A: The Hobbit is good. The Lord of the Rings is better.

Q: What hobbies do you pursue in your spare time?
A: Gaming, intramural sports, gym.