Prior to serving in the legislature, Strickler retired from his position as a Senior Data Analytics Manager after 35 years of service with Hallmark. He began his career at Hallmark with an entry-level position and worked his way up to leadership roles advising senior executives at Hallmark and responsible for multi-million dollar budgets.

Strickler has volunteered his time with various organizations, clubs, and causes throughout the community. He recently served as Vice Chair of the Lee's Summit Arts Council and is a member of the Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce. He also recently served on both the Industrial Engineering Hall of Fame Board and the Marketing Department Advisory Board at the University of Missouri. He is a current Democratic Committeeman for Lee's Summit.

Strickler attended Southwest High School in Kansas City and went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in industrial engineering and an MBA from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He was inducted into Mizzou's Industrial Engineering Hall of Fame and received the Citation of Merit award from Mizzou's Trulaske College of Business.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Strickler has spent his entire life in the metro area. He and his wife currently reside in Lee's Summit. Strickler and his family are longtime members of Lee's Summit Christian Church, where he sings in the choir and where he finished serving as the moderator for the church leadership team.