“I was called to the Tell City High School guidance counselor’s office in 1976 and learned of a very lucrative financial aid package that would allow me to attend KWC and play baseball. I was very excited to share this information with my parents!
“I earned a B.A. with a major in business administration, making me the only non-accountant in my family. At 55, I decided to become a certified tennis instructor and have logged over 100 hours of education. I recently earned my certification to teach pickleball.
“Being a part of the KWC family helped me land my first two jobs, where I worked for two KWC alumni – David Epling ’74 at the Earle men’s shop and then Terry Woodward ’64 at WaxWorks. The opportunity at WaxWorks allowed me to spend 30 years in entertainment distribution.
“I began my job at the Earle my senior year at KWC, and I met many people who lived in Owensboro and still maintain friendships with many of them. I was also fortunate to sell clothes to Liberace, the Captain and Tennille, Frankie Valli and others. David (Epling) helped me get a job with Terry Woodward at WaxWorks, as they were rapidly expanding with the invention of the VCR and the recent sales of video cassettes.
“I worked at WaxWorks for 18 years, starting in the warehouse. I then became a buyer and eventually vice president of the Video Division and president of the National Association of Video Distributors.
“I left to start my own company with country music producer Jim Owens in Nashville (Worldwide Home Entertainment). While selling some of our product, I ran into one of my former customers, and we started a partnership that included a video distribution company specializing in closeout products and a racking company serving convenience stores. In our prime, we serviced over 3,500 convenient stores in 20 states. I retired after 30 years in the video distribution business and now run Centre Court tennis facility as general manager and teaching professional.
“My wife and childhood sweetheart is the heart and soul of the family. She graduated from the University of Evansville with a B.S. in accounting as their top business graduate. She owns her own company, is a past Athena Award winner, and volunteers on numerous boards. She has won multiple tennis state championships and is Mimi to Henry and Miles (our first two grandchildren).
“We look forward to lots of travel with our grandchildren and will attend the Australian Open in the future.”