I was born and raised in Eagle Pass, Texas; a community along the Texas/Mexico border. I graduated from Eagle Pass High School in 1976, and I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting Control Systems in December 1988 from the University of North Texas in Denton.
Shortly after my graduation, I began my accounting career at the Maverick County Tax Office under the direction of the County Auditor. I supervised the Motor Vehicle Division, and the Property Tax Office. After a couple of years, I was hired as the Chief Accountant for the City of Eagle Pass where I wrote their first budget document conforming to the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) standards and obtained their very first GFOA Budget Presentation Award.
In January 1993, I moved to Arizona. The City of Casa Grande brought me on board as their Budget Analyst. While there, I also served as their network administrator for the City. Shortly thereafter, in November of 1994, I moved back to Eagle Pass to be closer to my family who was dealing with my mother's declining health. The City of Eagle Pass offered me the position of Assistant Finance Director managing the accounting and budget operations. I remained for nearly five years but not without bringing to Texas from Arizona my better half, Holly. We did, however, long to return to Arizona and after my mother's health had improved, we decided to move back in 1999.
In Cottonwood, I am privileged to be the President of Kairos Health Arizona, Inc. which provides health benefits such as medical, dental, vision care, life insurance, and wellness programs to nearly every school, town and city in the Verde Valley, as well as many other governmental agencies throughout the state. I am also honored to be President of the Arizona Municipal Risk Retention Pool (AMRRP) which provides Worker Compensation Benefits, General Liability, Property and Casualty Coverage, and Risk Management to many smaller Arizona rural communities. I am also a Certified Government Finance Manager (CGFM) and an active member of the Association of Government Accountants (AGA), the Government Finance Officers Association of Arizona (GFOAZ), and the National GFOA.
My family and I consider ourselves very fortunate to have relocated here, and we are proud to call Cottonwood our home.