My Passion 

I like solving problems and figuring out how things work, both in lighting and in my personal life. If someone tells me something can’t be done, I take that as a challenge.

That’s a big part of why I’ve stayed in lighting. There’s always a new product, a new control strategy or a new way of doing things, and I enjoy learning it and then using it every day to help my customers be successful.

My Role 

As Director of Specifications for Lighting & Controls, I work with the design community and our manufacturer partners to find the right lighting and controls solution for each project. Much of that work happens early, before anything is ordered. I enjoy digging into the details and figuring out how all the pieces fit together.

My Career

I started in distribution right out of high school. I worked in the Grainger warehouse while I attended Lake Forest College, where I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Business. After graduating, I stayed with Grainger until 2011, when I was offered a position in lighting and got my start in the industry.

Since then, I’ve worked for several manufacturers, with a focus on lighting and lighting controls. Having seen the business from both the distribution side and the manufacturer side gives me a useful perspective when I’m working with customers today.

I hold my Lighting Certification (LC) and am a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society.

When I’m not being Director of Specifications

I’m married to my wife, Sara, and we have two daughters. We moved to Arizona from Chicago in November 2020, and since then we’ve spent plenty of time hiking, skiing and getting outdoors together.

Music is also a big part of my life. I started playing drums when I was 10, and over the years I’ve performed across the country with a number of bands and musicians.