Work: Managing Partner at Penrose Group
Education: University of Virginia
Family: Wife, Madolyn; one son, Hank, 16 months; and one baby on the way in January
Pets: Woody, a yellow lab-golden retriever-mix rescue dog
Hobbies: Golf, fishing, hanging out with my family
Causes: Trinity Valley School Board of Trustees, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, The Center for Transforming Lives, The Multicultural Alliance, the Gladney Cup Board of Advisors, Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate, Chefs 4 Kids, UNICEF
Motto: Never underestimate the power of a kind word or deed.
Favorite Quote(s):
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” Thomas Jefferson
Favorite Movie: Home Alone and Shawshank Redemption
Favorite Book: Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson
Favorite Music Genre: Indie Rock
Favorite Art Style: Modern
Favorite Vacation Spot: Snowmass, Colo.
Greatest Moment in Your Life: Birth of my son, Hank
What do you think about your generation? That's a loaded question. Like anything else, I think there are great aspects of our generation and some negatives.
I've seen millennials described lots of ways – the “Traits” section on Wikipedia (I can't believe I'm quoting Wikipedia) quotes authors William Strauss and Neil Howe, stating that they predict millennials to be “more like the civic-minded G.I. Generation with a strong sense of community both local and global.” I agree that our generation does tend to have these feelings, and they are apparent in millennials' social/political views and lifestyle. On the flip side of this, my concern is that lots of millennials seem to state their views but don't actually go out and donate their time and resources to others. I also fear that our generation has strong beliefs, but we don't always fully understand the implications of those beliefs. In other words, we are dreamers but sometimes not practical. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I think it is a reality of our generation, which may be due to our age for now. It will be interesting to see where we go as a generation as we continue to get older.
Strongest Character Trait: I think my strongest trait is patience and my ability to be rational. I heard a Navy SEAL once say that the most important piece of their training is to always be able to back away from a situation, “relax, look around and make a call.” If you can't do this, the moment will take over, and it is hard to create a successful outcome. I find I am most successful when I can gather as much data as possible in a situation and use that information to make a rational decision. That way once the decision is made, I do my best not to look back. That helps when we are analyzing business opportunities and making life decisions.
Important Life Lessons Learned: One mistake can cause you irreparable harm, so treat every day and each moment as an important one. Always treat people well.
