I enrolled at HCC in 1969, one year after the school opened, attending school at night and on weekends while working full-time for my family’s construction business. After earning an A.A. degree, I transferred briefly to the University of Tampa, but dropped out because of the time requirements of my career and family. In 1985, I went to work for Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) as the Education Director overseeing the Apprenticeship training programs in six construction trades, and in 1989, was promoted to President/CEO, managing all of the association businesses, representing commercial and industrial contractors on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
HCC changed the trajectory of my career and my life. One of the requirements of getting hired as the Education Director with ABC was having a degree. In 1999, I was accepted into the Association Management Institute program at the University of Notre Dame where I earned my Associated Management Certificate. I retired in 2016 after having a great career.