I am a native Oklahoman and was raised in Ada, Oklahoma. I attribute much of my philosophical foundation of devotion to family, hard-work, personal responsibility, and support for individual rights, to my experiences of growing up in a small town in Oklahoma. While growing-up, I spent a lot of time with family and close friends. However, rather than following in the footsteps of my father, grandfather and uncle, who dedicated their entire work careers to the same local factory, working 34 years, 38 years and 30 years respectively, I focused on an education.
I attended East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma on a Presidential Leadership Scholarship. During college, I worked several part-time jobs and participated in a number of campus clubs. After completing undergraduate studies, I lived in Oklahoma City and worked for an international public accounting firm. After two years, I moved to Tulsa and worked for Oklahoma’s largest bank. Five years after completing undergraduate studies, while continuing to work for the bank, I entered law school at the University of Tulsa on a part-time basis. Ultimately, I stayed on track by attending summer school, completing law school in three years.
Prior to entering the practice of law, I had significant business experience, including several years of experience with international public accounting firms and several years of experience in banking. While working in public accounting, I assisted clients in analyzing and structuring the tax aspects of business transactions, represented taxpayers in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities, and performed financial audits in various industries. While working in banking, I helped a number of departments analyze their policies and procedures to achieve optimal effectiveness, with a majority of my time dedicated to mortgage banking functions.
The highlight of my life has been my wife and children. My wife, Deborah, and I met while working, and married nearly two years later. We are truly blessed to have two beautiful children with whom we enjoy spending time. Family time is a priority in our lives.
