I was born in 1942 in upstate New York as a second generation Italian male.  My father spent most of my early years serving in the Navy during World War II; therefore, I lived most of my earliest years with my mom and maternal grandmother who only spoke Italian.  While I was bilingual, my parents discouraged my speaking Italian since they wanted me to fit in as an American.  As I grew older, English became my prevalent and exclusive language.  This was the beginning of being the first to break most of my Italian family traditions.  I was the first to get a college education, the first to not practice Catholicism (was forced to be an Alter Boy for six years), the first to not marry an Italian (I remember the look on my grandfather’s face when I brought home a blond, Swedish wife), and the first to get a divorce, etc. 

The second major influence upon my life was being born a war baby.  I always considered this as an advantage since less babies were born during WWII.  This made things less competitive (getting into college and entering a career). 

I chose a career in Psychology becoming a School Psychologist in 1966 and matriculating into  a high school principal.  During this time, I received my Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, taught in a local Community College for 8 years and started a School Psychology program at Cal State San Bernardino.  I guess you could say that I had a successful career, highlighted by being a key note speaker for the California School Board Association and receiving a California State Proclamation as an Outstanding Educator.  In 2003, I became a State Educational Consultant where my responsibility was to assist school districts who exhibited underperforming test results.  My educational journey ended this past December after having spent 8 years as a Trustee for the Yuba Community College District.  All of this adds up to 53 years in education!

Throughout my career, I always tried to balance my knowledge and Humanitarian values with my need for bodily kinesthetic activities.  I always was attracted to competitive sports which included softball, racquetball, bicycling, tennis, and of course, pickleball. My hobbies include playing a musical instrument (not singing as seen in the last pickleball party), snorkeling, and woodcarving.  I love my lifestyle in Oakmont, particularly pickleball along with all of the amenities that it offers and hope to be playing it for many years into the future.