Major: speech

Hometown: born in Lancaster, Pa., grew up in Farmers Branch, Texas

Residence: Arlington

Family: wife Michele, daughter Ryan Isabella

Occupation: vice president and chief information officer for the Dr Pepper Bottling Co. of Texas

UTA student involvement: football 1979-81 and the Input/Output Council. We [council members] were sort of the electronic geeks of the school. We worked on video and audio editing and on campus production before it was more formally attached to fine arts. We produced video and audio of on-campus activities in the basement of the SUB, and to my knowledge most of it never left the cutting room.

Favorite professor: Nita Cox. I entered UTA to major in business. After one entry-level speech course, I chose communication as my minor because I believed that the two complemented each other. As a result, I took many more liberal arts classes and had Ms. Cox for a number of courses, including phonetics and interpretation of children’s literature. I found myself wanting more from the communication area than from business. Ms. Cox counseled me further. In the end, I changed my major to communication and minor to business. Ms. Cox became my adviser on my degree plan and inspired me to be excellent in communications, both verbal and written. After completing my degree, the Communication Department awarded me Most Outstanding Senior. I owe that to Ms. Cox.

Fondest UTA memory: It’s a toss-up. I took my first trip to South Padre Island with the Freshman Student Council in 1979 ... no details, sorry; or playing for the 1981 Southland Conference football champions. Hobbies: computers, Web site development, amateur baseball

Why be involved in the Alumni Association: To assist UTA in any way I can in return for the valuable experience I gained during my time there. I also want to use my influence and contacts to help bring NCAA football back.