I grew up in Iowa and have been a lifelong Lutheran. As a kid, I sang in church choir and was involved in all kinds of youth ministries. I am a graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, with advanced degrees in Counselor Education from the University of Iowa, and a Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary in St. Paul. I moved to Minnesota in 1994 to work as Director of Campus Programs at Macalester College, and I spent six years working in corporate information technology just prior to attending seminary and graduating in 2010. I was ordained in 2010 and was Pastor at House of Prayer in Oakdale prior to coming to Redeemer.

Family is important to me and I am blessed to be married to Monica (originally from Aitkin, MN). We are a blended family with four children, three daughters and one son. Recently, our family has grown to nine, adding two son-in-laws, and a new joy - our first granddaughter! We all live in the Twin Cities metro.

I delight in working with people, especially when we have the opportunity to bring out the best in each other. As a result, I love serving in the community. I sing in the National Lutheran Choir, and love to play volleyball, ride a bicycle, and read.