Degree(s): BJ '71

Whereabouts: United States, St. Louis, Missouri

What do you do?
After graduation and until the end of the Vietnam War, I saw the world as a line officer in the U.S. Navy. For the next 20 years, I enjoyed a career with advertising agencies in St. Louis (Gardner, DMB&B) and Chicago (FCB). Later, I joined a management consulting firm, which was eventually purchased by IBM. In 2004, the Federal Republic of Germany appointed me as their honorary German Consul for Missouri and southern Illinois, which now provides a fascinating parallel universe.

How did you get your job?
I knocked on the right doors at the right times.

What is the best professional lesson you learned at the J-School?
A fine appreciation for copy editing and other people with real talent.

What advice do you have for current students?
Pursue life and a career with a personal passion for excellence. Don’t be afraid of failure or change. Surround yourself with better people. Learn something new every day. Take time to give back to your community to make it a better place.

What is your favorite J-School memory?
Graduation.