America's Benefit Specialist July 2023

centers in Iowa. Thankfully, I’ve got a really good staff that run things and I don’t have to change diapers! On the personal side, many moons ago I tried out for the Cincinnati Reds baseball organization. Unfortunate ly, I couldn’t hit a slider to save my life and my dream was dashed. On the positive side, I became a really good slow pitch softball player. What do you do for fun? My wife and I have three kids ages six to 15, so fun takes on different forms with each one. My youngest son loves anything that includes throwing, kicking or hitting, so I enjoy playing catch with him as well as watching WWE. My daugh ter who’s almost 11 loves to dance, so seeing her smile while dancing on stage fills me with joy. She also likes to challenge me in games of Killer Sudoku. I’m still undefeated but her day is coming! My oldest son is a teenager and doesn’t need us anymore except when he’s short on cash, but he plays golf and I love to tee it up as much as possible. Unlike my daugh ter, I’ll never lose to my oldest, even if I have to fake an injury before the round is over!

Those two experiences exposed me to great conversations on healthcare and lasting friendships at the capitol. I got to know the speaker of the house well and still have her cell phone number today even though she has moved on. As doors opened, I was humbled to be asked by Governors Branstad and Reynolds to serve on the CHIP Board in Iowa. The experience with government committee work is very interesting and much different than in the private sector. When I was elected to chair the CHIP Board, I was running a meeting and following Robert’s Rules . Well, it turned out someone questioned the “order” of a vote after the fact and we had to meet with the attorney general’s office. I under stand why governments move at a snail’s pace! Since stepping down from that appointment, I’m very grateful for the opportunity to serve Iowans and specifically an at-risk population. What are some things that most people don’t know about you? There are some things better left unknown but, seriously, I’ll give you a couple. On a professional note, in 2015, I diversified into child development and now own a number of child-care

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