How long have you been part of the Heaven Hill family?

I joined Heaven Hill in October of 2020 – I just hit my six month mark!

What’s inspiring you in life right now?  

Professionally I’ve been inspired by my new role at Heaven Hill and the myriad individuals I’ve met who are passionate about their jobs and just as excited to continuously improve. I get a lot of energy from working with other people who are committed to excellence. I’ve also been inspired by the messaging I’ve seen from the company during this unique time period, and the people first leadership on display during my short tenure.

​​​​​​​It’s also a fantastic time for data science with several exciting data science packages having recently been released, and I’m always inspired to learn about them and try to apply them in my work. I love expanding my toolkit.

Personally I’m finding inspiration from the resilience and strength of my friends and family as we navigate the (hopeful) end of this pandemic — especially my children. Teaching them has taught me a lot. Some of my book choices this year – especially those around stoic philosophy – have also proven very inspirational and applicable.

Tell us about an organization or cause you are passionate about.

The Neighborhood House is a nonprofit community center in the Portland Neighborhood in Louisville, KY. My children attended daycare there and I saw firsthand the services that Neighborhood House provides to its residents. Low or no cost childcare is available, along with senior programs, family services, and most recently, COVID 19 related relief and programs. Check them out at https://www.nhky.org, and feel free to donate if you want to impact lives directly.

Which Heaven Hill corporate value do you relate to most and why?

I think it’s important to always be improving in some area of my life. It doesn’t have to be large in scope, but I always want to be getting better at something. It can be as small as learning a new fact or changing a small habit, or as large as learning an entire new skillset.  That’s Continuous Improvement. It works as a personal goal as well because it’s so scalable. Small, incremental changes matter, and sometimes that’s all one has the capacity for.

What’s your favorite Heaven Hill memory?

I was able to take part in the national sales meeting this year. Joining a new company during a pandemic and working remotely has been interesting to say the least. The sales meeting provided some much needed community building. Even though it was virtual, the organizers did a great job making it feel like it wasn’t.  During the meeting we took a group picture that involved silly poses and photoshop work, and it was great to have that team interaction. Looking forward to more in person interactions in the near future!

What’s one thing people may not know about you?

I started off in the nonprofit industry with work that focused on statistical evaluation of grant-based project outcomes. I learned a lot about methods of teaching history to elementary, middle, and high school kids, among other topics.

What’s your favorite time of day?

In the summer evening, an hour or so before the sun goes down. I have great memories of driving down country roads around my home during times like that.

What are three things you can’t live without?

A computer (macbook please),  craft beer and access to books. I somehow got through this entire thing without talking about R (the programming language I use every day), so I’m going to list it as my fourth thing.

What would you like to be remembered for?

Being a good father, friend, coworker and person. Or at least trying my best 😊.