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Married, 3 grown step-children, 5
step-grandchildren.
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Born and raised in Macomb, Illinois,
into a 4th-generation McDonough County family of farmers,
teachers, civil servants, bankers, and doctors. Father a
WWII veteran.
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Graduated Macomb High School
(valedictorian); Western Illinois University (B.Ed., minor
in Spanish); University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign (M.S.)
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Did postgraduate work on a Rotary
International Fellowship to England, Communications Research
Centre, University of Leicester; also University of San
Francisco Extension, Guadalajara, Mexico.
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Taught in Springfield, Illinois. State
Teacher's certification (inactive).
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Started broadcasting career at (then)
WKAI AM/FM (now WJLB) in Macomb Illinois. News Director,
reporter, anchor.
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Began TV news career in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. Returned September 2005 to report for ABC on the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
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Worked at WQAD-TV (ABC), Moline, IL as
general assignment reporter, consumer reporter and
anchor--1980-1982 and 1992-1995. Co-produced and hosted a
live one-hour special on teen pregnancy, which won awards.
Reported and co-produced specials during the Flood of 1993.
Co-produced and anchored award-winning special "The River."
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Anchored, reported and produced at KWQC-TV
(then WOC)--1982-1986. Produced and reported a popular
franchise called "Zinga Is", working other people's jobs.
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Anchored at CNN World Headquarters,
Atlanta Georgia, 1995-1998. Worked CNN, Headline News,
Airport Channel and CNN Radio. First anchor on the breaking
story of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in July 1996.
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Earned a national Emmy for work on CNN.
Received numerous other awards.
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Wrote weekly news/feature column for The
Dispatch (Moline) on the coming of the 1996 Summer Olympics
to Atlanta.
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Also anchored and reported at other TV
affiliates in North Carolina, Florida, Texas and Illinois.
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Ran for U.S Representative from the 17th
District in Illinois, 2004.
