I love architecture. I love all aspects of it – the artistic and design aspects as well as the technical aspects. But most of all I love building relationships with our clients, consultants and my coworkers.

I graduated from the University of Maryland’s School of Architecture in 1989, and received my Masters from Penn in 1991, entering the field that year after landing my first job in the midst of a recession. I learned quickly that being willing to do anything and everything was the best path to job security.

I arrived in southwest Florida in 2004, building my branch of an established architecture firm to 18 employees, and then was hit with another recession in 2008. By 2011, we had to close our doors, but through creativity, relationships, and hard work, was able to immediately establish a new firm called Studio+.

As I have progressed through my career and gained experience, I also gained a love of sharing that knowledge through mentoring. That passion led me to start a nonprofit in 2012, and in 2015 I sold my portion of Studio+, and dove full time into the non-profit world. That nonprofit affected the lives of many young people and families in some of the most disenfranchised areas of our community. But, after 13 years, it ran it’s course – in 2023 I started a new firm called Arcraft Studios and eventually went back to architecture full-time.

I am grateful that God has given me more than one passion, and that I am as happy designing a building as I am mentoring, and that I have clarity on where the importance of all of that lies – in living a life where caring for one another supersedes everything else.

I am now focused on instilling those values in anyone that decides to join us here at Arcraft Studios – values that have to do with integrity, service, hard work and bringing passion to everything we do so we can enrich the lives of those who we encounter along the way.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to architecture. One of my earliest memories is being in the backseat of my father’s car, driving through neighborhoods and being fascinated by the different styles — all displaying uniqueness, each one having a personality. I often imagined buildings, spaces, and the feeling of walking through something I could one day create. I didn’t just want to design structures; I wanted to build something that could stand the test of time — something that would still be here long after I’m gone.

That’s what architecture became for me: not just a career, but a way to leave a mark. I’ve always been fascinated by how a simple sketch can evolve into something real — something people live in, work in, and grow through. To me, buildings are more than walls and roofs — they are spaces that hold memories of the past while waiting for the creation of new ones in the future.

But getting here wasn’t easy.

During college, I hit a point where I seriously considered walking away. I was burned out, overwhelmed, and unsure if I had what it took to keep going. I even came close to dropping out. But in that moment, something shifted. I knew deep down that I didn’t want to quit — I just needed to reroute. I refocused, reminded myself of why I started, and committed not just to finishing, but to becoming the element in society I had always wanted to be.

That decision changed everything.

Today, I approach every project with that same mindset: create with intention, design with legacy in mind. Whether I’m working on a modern home or an office space, I think about how it will feel, how it will function, and how it will last.

It has been four years since I embarked on my journey in the architecture/construction realm, but it has felt like something I’ve known my whole life. Architecture isn’t just my job — it’s who I am. And every structure I help bring to life is a chance to build something meaningful, something that lasts far beyond me. To this day, I am still that little kid in the backseat, filled with wonder, curiosity, and the desire to create. With every project I take on, I’m not just designing buildings — I am continuing a lifelong conversation between imagination and reality, seeing the world for what it is now and how I can mold it for the future.