For Recruiters: FAQs

Manager, Internal Communications at United Services Organizations (2023-2025)

As their first internal communications department, building that team and infrastructure for a storied, 85-year-old brand was an amazing experience that helped make our employees work easier and more rewarding. I enjoyed returning to my military roots at this non-profit supporting service member families. Unfortunately, due to pullback of corporate donations, my department was part of a round of layoffs/RTO that eliminated all roles not in Arlington.

Independent Communications Contractor (2022-2023)

One of my clients was a large insurer with a reputation for bland, predictable communications. I enjoyed helping them articulate their value passionately as their rebrand consultant. After a few engagements with a couple of clients, my grandparents care and estate was finalized, so I returned to regular employment.

Multiple Roles at Dominion Energy
(2019-2022)

It was fascinating to work with the C-suite and board of a Fortune 300 company grappling with very potent issues like environmental sustainability and regulation, but I resigned and switched to contract work for more time to manage the increasing demands of end-of-life care for my grandfather and managing his estate.

Lead Consultant at The Frontier Project, a Culture and Organizational Development Agency (2018-2019)

I learned that I LOVE teaching in workshops and learning & development sessions, and I got to work with several dynamic clients (including many in national security) in a short period of time, but due to challenges in our accounts department, they needed to add business development to my role…and I am awful at that so I moved on!

Multiple Roles at Franklin Street, a Healthcare Brand Consultancy (2013-2018)

As a healthcare consultancy, it was extremely rewarding to work with leaders to directly improve lives. After several years working there, the owner of the agency retired and sold to a partner who wanted to take the business in a direction that did not match my passions, which were increasingly in the realms of culture, from internal/executive communications to learning and development.

Manager of Marketing and Internal Communications at Michigan CAT, a Caterpillar Dealer (2006-2012)

I loved learning many external and internal communications disciplines and how they impacted each other, all during the challenges of working in the Rust Belt during the Great Recession, but after my father passed, I moved to Virginia to be a caretaker for my grandfather.

Sergeant, United States Marine Corps (1993-2002)

I fulfilled a childhood dream by following in the footsteps of many veteran family members before leaving to start a family with my wife. I served in the infantry during relatively peaceful times and enjoyed many challenges and friendships. I will always have a little Marine in me, and I still try to live the values of Honor, Courage and Commitment every day.

A place where I can continue my passion for creative communications that motivate audiences and build stronger cultures. I am happy to fulfill this need through either contract work or a regular full-time role. I like a good challenge, and seem to gravitate to those industries in flux who need good, seasoned communicators. I am happy to take on a role with direct reports (I am passionate about mentoring) but I also enjoy being an individual contributor or consultant as well.

• While I love creating, improving the creative processes is also important to me; from simplifying the inclusion of stakeholders to establishing ROI tracking and conducting after-action steps to ensure constant improvement. I believe in the military axiom of “Amateurs talk strategy, experts talk logistics.”

• I excel at consulting for executives. I combine my empathy for the challenges they face with my understanding of how to constructively speak truth to power. My decades of experience includes working directly with leaders from the corporate, military, healthcare and intelligence agency spaces to help them motivate audiences and articulate their vision. I have pitched to and supported NFL franchise owners, cabinet members, flag officers, spys and titans of industry. Watching leaders build belief in their organizations (and knowing I helped even just a little) is among the most rewarding moments I get to enjoy in my work.

• I am extremely passionate about mentoring the next generation of communicators. Few have led machine gun sections and creative agency teams, so the people I have managed often have a different experience. I take pride in helping them develop their ideas and then I get out of the way so they can do great work. I focus on four areas:

1. Foster a playful, safe ideation environment

2. Teach them what I know

3. Advocate for the resources they need to win

4. Develop them for the next level up

Learn more about my leadership approach that was featured in this article.

I used to have an active LinkedIn account but for security reasons of my clients I only maintain a LInkedIn profile to help confirm I am an actual person, you can see it here. While I still respect the capabilities of social media, and I keep up with its evolution, I find little value in them personally so I never turned my other accounts back on and I am not active on LinkedIn. If you are looking to hire me to “leverage my network” or adopt followers, I’m not who you are looking for. I build my networks by delivering real life results while enjoying genuine human interactions. Crazy, right?