I was a newspaper journalist in Texas for almost 20 years. This includes more than two years as a freelancer.
My rich work life outside journalism has helped feed experiences that contributed to my work as a writer and reporter. I spent four years in the Navy and worked for more than five years as a paid firefighter/EMT in Nacogdoches, Texas. Along with the Vietnam-era GI Bill and my salary as a firefighter, I worked my way through college, graduating in 1984 with a B.A. in journalism at Stephen F. Austin State University. I worked for a small-town weekly as editor. I also worked for the dailies in Nacogdoches, Orange and Waco, Texas, where I had wide-ranging experiences in beats.
Outside my life as a journalist, I worked as a regional emergency medical systems coordination for state subdivision. Since 2007 I have worked 32 hours per week collecting price data for the Bureau of Labor Statistic's (BLS) Consumer Price Index. I am planning to retire in the fall of 2020.
I was a charter member International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 2690, the Nacogdoches Professional Firefighters Assn., where I was first vice president. I am a member of IAFF Alumni. I am currently a Regional Vice President for BLS with the American Federation of Government affiliate Local 2139. The local, the National Council of Field Labor Locals, represents around 800 members in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana and Mississippi.
