"It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the
dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the
needy and the handicapped."
- Hubert H. Humphrey |
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I am a native Austinite, and grew up in the Bouldin neighborhood, just south of downtown. My father was an Austin fireman and later a Travis County Deputy Sheriff, and my Mother worked for over 20 years as an admissions clerk at UT. My parents met in Austin, while my mother was still in high school and my dad was working as a gas station attendant and loading trucks in the warehouse district - which, back then, was really full of warehouses.
I went to Bouldin Elementary, then to Fulmore Junior High, then to Travis High, and finally to UT, where I graduated in 1962 with a degree in mechanical engineering. I later joined the Navy and became a pilot. I was on active duty for 5 years, including service in Vietnam, and then spent 15 more years in the Navy as a reservist, eventually retiring with the rank of
Commander. When I left active military duty in 1967, I became a pilot for
Delta Air Lines, where I worked for 32 years. I retired from Delta in 1999, flying MD-11 aircraft. When I retired from Delta, I became very involved with community issues here in Austin - particularly environmental issues, which have been a lifelong priority for me.
In 1999, I became a consensus appointee to the City's Environmental Board, and the following year I was elected Chair of that board by my colleagues.
I served in that capacity for just under 5 years until stepping down from the Environmental Board in 2005 to run for Austin City Council. I was very proud to be elected in 2005 with more than 62% of the vote, and I have worked hard since then to live up to the confidence that Austin voters placed in me. I am the father of two and the grandfather of five, and am married to Julie Byers who is a Registered Nurse. I am a regular runner and hiker, and also an accredited soccer referee, although I haven't worked a game in several years.
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