Every second January, a new group of dedicated volunteers take office as the St. Louis Region’s Officers and Board of Directors. I am humbled to have been elected to another of those leadership positions and want to thank those who supported me for the office of President. I will do my best not to let you down.
I would like to introduce myself with a mini-bio.
I was born in Marietta, Georgia and moved around the south with my family until we settled in Ballwin at age 10. I attended Lafayette High School, started college at St. Louis University and graduated from Mizzou. I began my career in Chicago, where I met my wonderful wife, Gail. After 6 years in Chicago, we relocated to Oakville and have lived here since 1987.
In manufactured home sales most of my life, I began a new career in Real Estate sales and investing about two years ago. In addition to the real estate business, I own a web store specializing in auto parts for German cars.
A certified car nut from the beginning, my parents claimed I could identify many cars by year, make and model before I could read. My brother and I spent many miles in the “way back” of our family Country Squire playing “Name that Car”. As a pre-teen, I fell in love with the muscle cars and pony cars of the day and I loved the big, fast American cars of the 60’s and early 70’s. At that time, other than VW Beetles, I really didn’t know much about European cars.
However, at age 15, while riding the bus to school, I began to notice a little yellow car sitting next to my dentist’s office on Manchester Road. That was the coolest car I had ever seen, but what was it? On one visit to his office, Andy Mitchell (who, by the way, is still my dentist and still has the car), explained that the little yellow car was a 1973 Porsche 911T. I was hooked, but as a teenager, I was in no position to obtain a Porsche for myself. For my first car, I settled for what I thought at the time was a sports car, a Fiat 850 Sport Spyder. It wasn’t…and I moved on to many other cars including a several Mustangs, my first, a 1979 with a V8, manual transmission and performance suspension..
My first experience with the PCA was while in Columbia, where the PCA ran autocross events at Cosmo Park. I participated in several of these events and did really well with the Mustang but marveled at how well the 911s and 924s performed on the course. I always thought it was interesting that the early 911’s would lift the inside front wheel off the ground in fast, tight turns.
In 1982, I was living in the Chicago area and making good money. The 944 had recently come to market and I just had to have one. I started shopping and had narrowed it down to a new Guards Red 1983 model. Then I met Gail. My priorities immediately changed, we were married, bought a house, began raising two great kids and eventually relocated to St. Louis. Again, I found myself in no position to obtain a Porsche (or maybe that was just an excuse!).
Working in Bethalto, IL in December of 1998, I was driving down IL 140 and noticed a blue 911 sitting on a local used car lot. I stopped to investigate and found that it was a 1985 Prussian Blue Carrera Targa with 90,000 miles and a whale tail. It was the personal car of the owner of the car lot and a body shop. He had purchased the car from a salvage auction and repaired the damage from a major deer strike.
That evening I told Gail I had to have the car. Knowing my love of cars in general and Porsches in particular, and after seeing the car for herself, she agreed that we should buy it.
In January, I took the car to Parktown Porsche for a pre-sale inspection and learned that the body repair was beautifully done and the car was mechanically sound but in need of a reasonable amount of maintenance. I purchased the car that day and began the needed maintenance. I found that almost everything I had heard about Porsche repairs was wrong. The car was logically and simply built and a dream to work on. Parts were less expensive than parts for my daily driver at the time, a Nissan Maxima. Although it was already 15 years old, it drove and handled like a much newer car. It was, and still is, a great car. We still have that car and it is my pride and joy.
Everyone has their own reason for joining PCA. When I joined in 1999, mine was to take advantage of the discount insurance program from Leland West advertised in every Panorama. For the first two yea
rs, I was, like many members, somewhat hesitant to become more active in the club. I participated in a couple of tours those first years, and after a while Gail and I tried a few Thirsty Thursday (now called Tischzeit Thursday) get togethers. I even entered the car in a couple of club-related car shows We found the members at these events to be welcoming, interesting and fun. More tours, car shows and Tischzeit Thursday’s followed and eventually, after many assurances that “underneath every Porsche is a race car”, I decided to try an HPDE at Gateway. Even though I had autocrossed earlier and was comfortable driving at high speeds, I was scared sh*tless before my first event. When I arrived at the track that first time, I found the organizers and instructors to be calm, reassuring and competent. My Instructors, Cam Schartzer and Steve Sullivan, made me very comfortable that weekend and I found that the 911 was a great car on the track. I had a blast, and was hooked. I’ve continued my track adventures as a PCA HPDE Instructor and as a driver and owner in LeMons, NASA and ChumpCar racing.
I have always liked getting involved, especially in the car community. In addition to the Porsche Club, I am (or have been) a member of the BMW Club; SCCA; the Audi Club; where I served as Secretary, Vice President, President and Chairman; the St. Louis European Auto Show as board member and Vice President, the Autos on Valhalla Car Show as an organizer and was, along with several members of the BMW Club, a founder and promoter of the Cars and Coffee in Rock Hill which now takes place at Westport Plaza. Outside of the car world, I have been a subdivision trustee for over 20 years, founded (and currently run) a Real Estate Investment Club and have served on several state and local boards of business-related groups.
In late 2008, I was asked to join the Region Board of Directors as a member at large for 2009. I gladly volunteered for the position and have continued to serve on the board since. Always happy to help, I have served as member or chair on several committees including the Car Show Committee, Trailer Committee and Website Committee and as Region Vice President for two years.
I’m looking forward to this next two years as your President. With the 2018 Porsche Parade being held in our back yard at the Lake of the Ozarks and the 60th Anniversary of the Region in 2019, in addition to all the other activities the region offers, I expect it to be a great, but busy time for all of us. Please join us for any region event or activity, you won’t be disappointed.
If you see me anywhere, whether club events or not, please feel free to introduce yourself and say “Hi”. Just remember, they say those of us who can easily identify the year, make and model of cars are generally lousy with names. So don’t be disappointed if I have to ask yours.
