Born and raised in Belleville, Illinois in 1988, he now lives just outside Millstadt. Since 2013, he has worked full‑time as a UPS driver, a role that has taught him the value of hard work, consistency, and showing up for others. His life took a meaningful turn in his early 20s when he discovered hockey and the community surrounding it. Although he didn’t grow up in the sport, once he found it, everything changed. The rink became a place where he felt connected, supported, and part of something bigger than himself.
Hockey and its community gave him so much that giving back felt like the only natural response. That commitment to service is what led him and Matt Heath to start the Midwest Region of the DAWG Nation Hockey Foundation. Their goal wasn’t to build something impressive — it was simply to support families in their area who needed the same compassion and strength that hockey had given them.
What began as a simple idea has grown into a community he is proud to serve. He doesn’t see himself as a leader, but as someone trying to make a difference in the place he calls home. Every family helped, every story shared, and every act of kindness reinforces why this work matters. The nonprofit has given him a deep sense of purpose, and he is grateful for the people it has brought into his life.
At the end of the day, he is simply trying to ensure that no one in the hockey family has to face their toughest moments alone.