| I come from a humble background. My two brothers, two sisters and I were raised by our mother, who was a third-grade public school teacher. She instilled in us a foundation of Christian faith and personal responsibility.
I also grew up knowing the importance of a strong work ethic. When I turned ten I started my first job delivering the daily paper on my bicycle before school. From the age of fifteen through college I worked as a grocery clerk. I paid for my college degree and was named the top Auburn accounting graduate. After college I worked in public accounting with a national firm and passed all parts of the CPA exam the first time. I then transitioned to banking in 1977 as chief financial officer at a bank in Tullahoma. While working in the bank, I completed my MBA from Vanderbilt Owen School of Management with honors. In 1992 I became a partner in a Tullahoma public accounting firm. After fourteen years, I decided to return to banking and joined the leadership at Coffee County Bank in Manchester. I have been their Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since 2010.
Outside of work, I'm active in my church and Coffee County politics. I teach a weekly Bible study and am Chairman of my church's administrative council. I have been a Coffee County commissioner since 1988. For the last ten years have been chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee and Tullahoma Caucus Chairman. I was elected as your State Representative in 2018. During my free time I enjoy swimming, hiking, reading, and traveling with my family.
I married my college sweetheart, Belinda, in 1974. We moved to Tullahoma in 1977 where we raised our four wonderful children, Elizabeth, Ben, Bradford and Blair. We have since been blessed with two daughters-in-law, one son-in-law and four grandchildren. |