Home: Alpharetta, GA. Age: 59. Birthplace: Wheeling, IL. Profession: Anatomic, Clinical and Dermatopathology. Title: General Pathologist. Alma mater: Barry University; UNECOM; University of Miami; Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Columbia University.
Recent professional development: Returned to general pathology after almost 2 decades virtually limited to working in dermatopathology. Latest accomplishment: Persuaded the love of my life Ewa Lukasik to say I DO. What’s been your big (or biggest leap)? Created one of the largest solitary labs in the country within a decade. Hobbies: Guitar, dog (vizsla) parent, cooking. Recent travel or adventure: Nine days in Croatia, breath-taking experience. Last book read: Empire of the Summer Moon, by S.C. Gwynne. Recent unique acquisition: A 1952 Gibson Les Paul.
Moral compass: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. What is your greatest joy? Seeing my daughter Braylin flourish as a young adult. What word or phrase do you use far too often? It is what it is. What occupation, other than your own, do you most admire? First responders. What is at the top of your bucket list? Travel, especially Egypt and various locations in the orient. How do you relieve stress? Music, both listening and playing. What is your go-to workout? Riding my bicycle.
What was your first paying job? Sweeping a warehouse floor at a lighting store. What was your favorite college course? Botany. Sometimes it’s more about the teacher than the course. What movie have you repeatedly watched? Gone with the Wind, Dead Poet’s Society, The Bird Cage. Besides your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life? A gentleman named Sam Kaplan. What modern technology innovation do you most appreciate? Flight, the smart phone. What is your go-to source of creative inspiration? Nature and music. What world event has had the greatest influence on your life? 9/11.
What is your big idea?
To develop customized pathology services for podiatric physicians.
What change would you like to see in the world? The return to a pure focus on health in the medical world, rather than profit. What widely held belief do you reject? That it’s not all about genetics. We can affect change, in many ways, independent of our genetic make-up.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? Adversity: An Instrumental Tool for Fulfillment and Success. What actor would you choose to play you in the movie about your life? Clark Gable. Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? George S. Patton. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? A musician. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? My incredible Vizsla Rhett. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? At a café with my fiancé Ewa and daughter Braylin.
Personal mission: To live out my years in happiness working in a field I love. Personal motto: Life is only as good as you make it. Favorite quote: “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious” (Albert Einstein).
