I met my wife while she was traveling to a stroke conference. She is a stroke neurologist. I was a regulatory consultant covering stroke programs. We connected quickly on the intricacies of regulatory requirements around electronic clinical documentation for stroke measures. Our chat went from stroke regulatory requirements to dog pictures in short order. It turned out to be a more productive travel day than either of us anticipated.

We enjoy traveling, and going to museums, art galleries, and concerts. I believe that leaders who stop learning stop leading, and I have found as much insight in a museum gallery or a live performance as I have behind a desk.

Every day starts early. I walk my two huskies every morning for both their benefit and mine. It clears my head before the day has a chance to fill it back up.

I play golf and tennis. Golf is particularly ruthless and humbling, but I always find optimism in the words of John Daly: "It was a good 12. I got up and down for 12."

I enjoy making something out of nothing. Woodworking is a discipline that requires deliberation, problem solving, and the planning of order and processes. Mistakes compound on woodworking projects; taking the time to plan and execute correctly is always faster than fixing rushed work. What comes out of the shop is tangible, unique to the piece of wood it came from, and impossible to replicate exactly.

Driving is one of my favorite things to do. Going on a drive in the right car on the right road is bliss. There is nothing that compares to rowing through the gears, the air rushing through the open-top car, as you drive with no destination in mind, just looking for the route that will be the most fun way to get there.

In the kitchen, I have a few accomplishments. My oft-requested lasagna is made with a couple of techniques passed down through generations from the other side of the Atlantic. The same applies to my pizza. I make it from scratch, without a recipe, and I confidently tout it as better than our local pizza place. Beyond my Italian staples, having lived in Kansas City for a decade and taken barbecue classes there, I can spend the day working through the scientific process that yields competition ribs or pulled pork.

To unwind, I read every night. Outside of business topics, I oscillate between historical fiction and biographies. If my interests in woodworking and history, as well as the fact that I am from the Midwest, did not already characterize me as Swansonesque, I enjoy a good scotch too, whether bold and peaty or matured and smooth.

"To whom much is given, much is expected." I have supported the following organizations and would encourage others to consider them as well: St. Jude Children's Hospital, First Hand Foundation, The Flagship Niagara League, K-State Foundation, ACLU, and Planned Parenthood.

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Whether you're looking for a strategic partner, exploring an executive leadership opportunity, or just want to connect with someone who thinks carefully about how organizations work, the best place to start that conversations by emailing me or connecting on LinkedIn via the buttons below.

Let's make something with the kind of presence that commands a boardroom.

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