I was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona and lived many years in Gilbert, Arizona on a small farm. I have been married for 37 years to my high school sweetheart, Gretchen, and we have 8 children and 7 grandchildren. My employment has a few unusual twists and turns, such as the Arizona State Highway Patrol working on radio installations and microwave towers, but I have mainly been an electrician. I had my own contracting business in Arizona when my brother-in-law convinced me to get out of the heat and come to Alaska. I came here in 1983 for a summer job. I’m sure you can guess the rest of the story. We lived in Eagle River for a couple of years then moved to Wasilla in 1986.