Student Leadership Academy

Team Leader/ History

I'm a Floridian all the way having grown up here in Venice and having gone to Venice Elementary, Venice Middle, and Venice High School. I have a B.A in English (Creative Writing) from the best school in the land; Florida State University, and a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of South Florida.

This is my tenth-year teaching at Student Leadership Academy and if the name sounds familiar, both of my parents taught in Sarasota County Schools for over 35 years. My goal as your child's teacher is to instill in them a love for learning, the ability to research independently for answers, and the confidence to thrive in all environments. Prior to coming to teach at SLA I worked as a sports writer and as the quality and logistics manager for a spring manufacturer.

I'm married to Callie and we have three children: Patrick (15) who is a sophomore at Venice High, Grace (13) who is an eighth grader at SLA, and Buddy (10) who attends Garden Elementary School.  We like to spend time together volunteering in the community, attending or acting in shows at Venice Theatre, and attending sporting events. My wife Callie is an estate planning attorney here in Venice. Like me she is a Venice native and graduate of Venice High School. Unlike me she went to a hoops school (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill) and is very serious about her Tar Heels.

In my chill time I like to golf, play basketball, and do puzzles. Additionally, I like to have friends and family over to grill food and watch sports.