Where are you from/where do you live?
I was born in Akron, raised in Mogadore and have been away for many years – Lexington, Kentucky; Mount Vernon, Ohio; Proctorville, Ohio – and we are now transitioning back to Northeast Ohio.

College/degree/licensure?
I have a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Akron and a master of divinity from Lexington Theological Seminary. I completed a one-year chaplain residency at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia.

When did you become a chaplain at Aultman Health Foundation? At what facility? What is your role?
I joined Aultman’s Spiritual Care team in January 2022. Most of my time is spent caring for patients and staff at Aultman Hospital, and part of my time is spent doing the same at Aultman Woodlawn and Aultman Hospice/Compassionate Care Center.

How did you decide to become a chaplain?
My wife had been doing chaplaincy for 10 years and said that her current clinical pastoral education (CPE) supervisor was great. So after serving as a pastor for 27 years, I decided to take an extended unit of CPE (training for chaplains). I enjoyed the work/ministry of chaplaincy so much that I left my congregational position and began a one-year, full-time chaplain residency.

What do you like best about your career?
I find it a joy to seek ways to sit with patients/families/staff “where they are” – that is, being present in their apprehension, fear, joy or grief – with the goal of helping them find and use their own spiritual and emotional strengths for their present challenges.

Tell us about your loved ones.
Carol and I have been married for 31 years. We have not been blessed with children of our own, yet we have shared our love with nieces, nephews, neighbors, kids in our churches and foster children under our care. I was the oldest of seven, and Carol the youngest of three. Cancer took my father and oldest sister 19 years ago. I am blessed to be spending time with my mother during this transition time (house selling/finding) and being close to my siblings here in Northeast Ohio.

What are some of your hobbies/interests?
I like to garden, do home remodeling projects, read, create art (2D and 3D) and travel. Cooking is a passion, and I like to prepare scratch-made meals (we rarely eat out). I also experiment with various ethnic food traditions, making Korean kimchi, French tartiflette, Mexican posole, Jamaican cow foot soup, Malian meni-meniyong and other interesting foods. You can take a trip around the world in my spice cabinet. Carol is from Louisiana. She is a fantastic cook and has taught me to make yummy Cajun dishes like gumbo and jambalaya.

What three words best describe you?
Humorous, creative, encouraging. My wife suggested: gentle, thoughtful, resolute.

What’s one thing most of your co-workers don’t know about you?
I jumped off a 2,000-foot cliff and didn’t even get a scratch.

What’s your dream vacation destination?
The French Alps is one of our favorite destinations so far, but we’d love to visit Thailand and see a special young woman we hosted as an exchange student years ago and meet her family.

What’s your favorite season of the year and why?
Hard to choose between spring (garden planting time) and fall (harvest time).

What’s your dream job?
Own/operate a nursery/greenhouse/vegetable farm.