I fell in love with outdoor lighting by accident. Never in my wildest imagination would I ever have thought I would end up becoming a professional lighting designer. Over a decade ago I got a job at a lighting distribution center in the warehouse because it was about the only thing within walking distance of my home and I was sharing a car with my wife. We had a second child on the way and I needed to find a job that had more regular hours than I had been working and that was close enough to walk to because our schedules made it logistically difficult to do pick-ups and drop-offs. I didn’t love the idea of working in a warehouse but when I interviewed for the position I could see that the job had a lot of promise so I took it. It took me all of three months to be promoted from the warehouse to managing the service department. Managing the service department opened the door to an electrical apprenticeship and a world of knowledge from all of the terrific electricians we had on staff. After only six months of revamping the service department, I was offered my own showroom to manage.

I loved my job and the direction my career was heading in but a family emergency prompted a sudden move to New Braunfels TX. It was here that I got my first taste of exterior lighting. The showroom that I took over there stocked it, but no one knew how to sell it. It was a part of our business that was costing us money. So, I took it upon myself to learn everything I could about landscape lighting so that I could teach my sales team how to sell it to our customers. I loved it immediately! Learning technical knowledge and passing it on really appeals to me but what really drove me was the ability to create! Landscape lighting is different from interior lighting in that you are creating a mood. You are setting an atmosphere. I could take something that was shrouded in darkness and make it come alive with nothing but light. This wasn’t just helping homeowners flip through catalogs to find the chandelier that they wanted to hang over their dining room table. This was creating a totally separate space that had unlimited potential.

Since then I have worked in many different facets in the lighting industry from outside homeowner sales, to manufacturing and currently as and architectural lighting consultant. I am an LC with the NCQLP (National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Profession) which is one of the most prestigious credentials you can get in the lighting industry. I have a unique vantage point because I have been on every side of the transaction. I started doing small install jobs in 2009 and I’ve been hooked ever since.

On a personal note, I have been married for almost 20 years and I have two wonderful daughters. I live in Plano, TX and I grew up in the DFW metroplex. Typically to my own chagrin, I am a huge Dallas Cowboys fan and in my spare time I am a musician and a cyclist.