How do you relieve stress? Long walks. Most challenges look smaller after a few miles. What is your go-to workout? Burpees. No equipment, no excuses. What was your first paying job? Freelance computer programming. What was your favorite childhood toy or game? Chess. Strategy disguised as a board game. What book have you repeatedly read? The Bible. One of a kind. What’s prominently featured on your home or office wall? An American flag, a few vintage maritime charts, and a framed NASA mission photo. What’s the best advice you received in your career? Think bigger than feels comfortable. Start before you feel ready. What modern technology innovation do you most appreciate? Undersea fiber optic cables. What company or organization do you most admire? The U.S. Navy. Few institutions combine strategy, engineering, and global presence quite like it.
What change are you working on to effect in your profession or field?
Bringing more innovation into institutions that shape national resilience.
What change would you like to see in the world? More people willing to build and improve institutions. What message do you want to send out into the world? Take responsibility for improving the systems around you. What widely held belief do you reject? That geography no longer matters. What mega-trend most excites you? The rebuilding of critical infrastructure and supply chains.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? Edges of the Map. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? An explorer. What advice would you give your younger self? Protect your curiosity. What period in your life would you do differently, if you could? None in particular. Every chapter, including the difficult ones, tends to teach you something you wouldn’t have learned otherwise.
Personal mission: Strengthen and advance the American experiment. Personal motto: Constant forward motion. Favorite quote: “Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world” (Miyamoto Musashi).
