I was born and grew up in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. I attended the University of Minnesota, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy. Like many people with this degree combo, I thought about attending law school, but determined that it was just too expensive considering my interest in public policy work. Instead, I received an M.S. degree in Security Technologies from the U of M, fulfilling my desire to learn more about information security.
I currently work for Vanta as the Director of Security, focusing on Security Engineering and Security Operations. Prior to this role, I have worked for a number of different organizations in various cyber-security roles, from risk analyst to Deputy CISO. Before moving into cybersecurity, I worked for 11 years at the Minnesota House of Representatives, first as a Constituent Services writer and then as the head of the IT Department for the DFL Caucus.
When I'm not working, I'm an amateur photographer, reader, writer, biker, poker player, music afficianado, blogger, and discombobulator.
I live in South Minneapolis with my wife Julia, daughter Sonja, son Stellan, and our two cats.