My Life Looked at Through a Different Lens

But my life’s trials have made me what I am today. They have pushed me up one learning curve after another. I have worked in many contexts: employee, entrepreneur, volunteer and civic leader, business manager of small businesses (up to $35 million per year), company President, Vice-President of Finance, and Chief Financial Officer, as well as having worked in the fields of agriculture, finance, law, state government, education and now mortgage banking. I have traveled to all 50 states in the U.S.

I have moved so many times, moving away from one group of friends after another, more times than I ever wanted. My brother-in-law jokingly once told me, “Rick, if you just paid your bills, you would not have to move so often!” Another friend told me, “If it weren’t for the law on your tail, you could stick around longer.” Oh, my! Life is too important to be taken tooooo seriously.

I have participated in numerous sports, and involved in whatever the wonderful local activity that was available where I was, from mountain climbing, flying airplanes and acting in musicals (the last being in 5 shows from June, 2005 to July, 2006 – yes, I do things intensely). These life experiences have given me such a broad perspective; shared by very few others, that now I bring to understanding the issues confronting the people of the state of Michigan.

And I have participated in numerous personal development programs, attempting to improve my skills and my effectiveness. Wow, a mountain of knowledge, and I am still not “fixed”. I am not perfect. I make mistakes. Life is a constant learning opportunity, and I continue to be challenged, and to grow and develop. My life has not been easy, but what is “perfect” about my life is the preparation to be able to serve you as your State Representative in Lansing. The broad perspective and the diverse experiences has allowed me to synthesize a broad array of things I have learned about myself, other people and what makes people tick, all into what feels like a coherent understanding of human nature.

Now, on to the vignettes. I feel I need to tell you these stories to help you understand my background, for without your knowing these, my cold credentials on my resume would not appear to make any sense.

The Beginnings (biography continued)