WHERE I COME FROM
Greg grew up in rural Kansas, with hard-working parents who taught their children by example to work hard - never complaining, and live their lives, not for themselves, but for God, their family, and those around them.
Greg recalls, “I don’t remember my dad ever setting me down and telling me about the importance of hard work, but what I can look back on is his example, working hard every day for 25 years at a natural gas refinery, only taking one sick day during that period. He worked shifts, at times going to work at 4 PM and then switching shifts to going to work at midnight till 8 AM, always ready to work 10-15 minutes early, and never complaining. My mom, well… she was the best. She also worked hard, ensuring my dad, brothers, and I had what we needed for the day – starting with a good breakfast. She sewed most of our clothes, even making her own wedding dress when she was 20 yrs old. She was involved in the community, the church, and never missed one of our cross-country or track meets, basketball games, tennis or wrestling matches, band or choir concerts, or musicals – not one. She was our biggest fan, taking pictures, and after attending an event, discussing all the details of her favorite parts. I also don’t recollect her ever complaining.” Both parents also cared for more than just their family, reaching out into the community through church functions, political activism for the right to life of the unborn, and looking out for their neighbors; and his dad, although not rich financially, was one of the most generous men he has known, with both his time and resources.
EDUCATION & VOCATION
Greg attended public schools K-12, and after graduating from high school attended a nearby community college on a basketball scholarship, graduating with an associates degree in computer science. After sitting out for a number of years to work, he then went back and obtained his bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from Kansas State University. During his senior year at college, he married his lovely bride, Deborah.
After graduation, he went to work as a field engineer in Mexico in the oil industry, but then back to the states, earning his Professional Engineering license in both Kansas and Oklahoma, and worked for various governmental agencies and private consulting and construction firms, totally over 25 year of experience, with management of several multi-million dollar public works infrastructure projects and departmental leadership positions.
In 2018, Greg moved and his family to Stillwater to work for the City as Transportation and Drainage Engineer, and has since started his own small construction company, Stillwater Property Maintenance.
FAMILY VALUES
Family has been a significant part of Greg’s life, and even as a young boy he wanted a large one, mainly because of his love for children. Greg and his wife have been blessed with a family of four boys and seven girls, of which four have married and two have made them proud grandparents. Having successfully graduated six of their eleven children as patriotic, conservative Christians (four still remaining in school and one in heaven), Greg and his wife considered the possibility of him running for the school board member of their ward in order to defeat the status quo incumbent and provide a conservative view.
Greg believes in the importance of children being taught the value of hard work, honesty, and being rewarded for their actual productivity and proficiency.
VISION
Greg is seeing more and more evidence that the education system is failing the children, families, and society in general, and are graduating children who are not proficient in the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Greg desires to emphasize the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education and minimize the woke ideology that is, unfortunately, actually promoting hatred and bullying, and encouraging students at very young ages to abandon their God-given roles. Greg sees mores than fifty percent of the state budget, plus federal and local funds, spent on public school education with the return being a generation of youngsters who struggle with the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but who can tell you about gender dysphoria, the so-called climate crisis, systemic racism, DEI, and social injustices.
Although the lack of academic proficiency, as well as a lack of transparency regarding the $5.5 million budget shortfall are real issues, the current school board seems unwilling to address these concerns and the concerns of parents whose children are being bullied, exposed to pornography and sexual coercion, and encouraged to believe the radical left’s socialistic ideology while being inadequately prepared for actual academic rigors and being part of a real-life work force and responsible citizenry.
A vote for Greg is a vote for common sense, truth, and morality on the Stillwater public school board and, ultimately, competency in the work force through future generations.