50th High School Reunion Bio (May, 2011)

My journey from Westgate Iowa, 1961, to Petal, Mississippi, 2011, has evidenced a long and circuitous route. Chronological stops saw Iowa Falls & Ellsworth Junior College (now Community College), Minneapolis-St.Paul and Peace Corps training, followed by Los Angeles, California and Pepperdine College (now University), and employment as a Probation Officer, interrupted in 1968, when being drafted into the Army created duty stations in New Jersey, Louisiana, Virginia, Thailand and Germany. In my return to civilian life in 1972, found re-employment as a Probation Officer and graduate school @ Pepperdine, where and when a Masters Degree in Psychology in 1973 was garnered. Subsequently, I was accepted into a Doctoral scholarship program, via the Army, and reentered active duty as a student in 1974. Graduate school at United States International University (now known as Alliant University) resulted in earning a Ph.D. in Professional Psychology, followed by an internship @ Ft. Ord, CA. I completed my active duty pay-back stints @ Ft. Lewis, WA, and then Ft. Bragg, NC, where I was assigned as the Unit Psychologist of the Delta Force, a counter-terrorism assault force, with whom I accompanied during the attempted rescue mission of the Iranian hostages in 1980. In 1981, I was recruited to join an international Corporate Psychology Consulting Firm, assigned to their Cleveland, OH office. After more than two years employment, I developed my own consulting practice in 1983, remaining self-employed until retirement to Mississippi in 2004. The last ten years of self-employment marked a transition to a psychotherapy emphasis, joining the clinical practice of my second wife, Sandra, a psychologist. After eleven years of active military duty and nine years of Reserve duty, I retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, the benefits thus derived, have held me in great appreciation! Since Sandra is originally from Mississippi, and her parents in end-of-life stages, we decided to seize the opportunity to set up our retirement phase a bit earlier than expected, and hold no regrets, as the living is easy, albeit a bit hot at times, in the Deep South. Family-wise, I have a 35 year son, Jonathan, who has blessed us with a daughter-in-law, Emily, and a 2 yo grandson, August (aka Gus). I have a 37 yo step-daughter, Ariana, who has graced us with a son-inlaw, Sunil, and a 3 yo grandson, Sachin. Also, I have a 44 yo step-son, Dylan, who has blessed us additionally with a granddaughter, Samantha, age 13 and grandson, Max, age 12. Now you are in my life-loop!