Graduating WJ was the culmination of 10½ years exposure to Montgomery County’s concerted and mostly successful effort to educate “baby boomers.” Our cohort was very fast growing, and I know now ─ I certainly didn’t realize this back in WJ days ─ we were very fortunate to grow up in a county that met huge challenges to quickly build and equip many quality schools, and to recruit thousands of competent teachers, counselors, and administrators.

I received a great education at WJ, despite not acquiring good study skills and habits until late in my college years. Dismal grades dominated my WJ-era report cards; yet, WJ teachers never abandoned me. They nurtured my curiosity and understanding of any subject that appeared to hold my interest beyond a gnat’s lifespan. Thanks to my teachers, my ACT/SAT scores were above the national averages of our times, and my WJ and NB education laid a solid foundation for eventual success in the military, college, work and life. I am grateful.

In March, our senior year, I enlisted into the Naval Reserve, at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Navy boot camp and Hospital Corps School followed WJ graduation. Assignments included: Quantico Naval Hospital pediatrics unit; Flight Deck corpsman and surgical assistant onboard the aircraft carrier Independence; and completion of active duty as senior corpsman of the pediatric/well-baby clinic at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base.

I graduated the U of MD with a Journalism B.S. in 1976; I returned as a physics/astronomy major for one year (Dean’s list and undergrad astronomy TA. Finally, homework mattered!). Worked at area hospitals during college, advancing, after college, to Director of Community Relations for Holy Cross Hospital.

In 1984, I entered the emerging health information management field, and co-designed the first real-time patient information system for Saint Elizabeths Hospital, then, a federal facility with approximately 900 inpatients and more than a thousand outpatients. By 1987, I was an information management consultant at Metro, helping to implement, improve, and administer their first real-time, enterprise Cost Management Information System for major construction and capital improvement programs. CMIS eventually tracked over $13B and 8,000+ contracts.

Metro hired me to administer CMIS in the 1990s; later I assumed capital budgeting duties. I retired in 2010, from the Metro Transit Police Department, where I was their first civilian budget officer, and later, Metro’s first Public Safety Business manager. 

I have been happily married for nearly 25 years to a wonderful person, Connie, who was pleased to meet so many of you at our 50th (and 40th) reunion. We live in Chevy Chase View, just south of Kensington, moving here in 1993. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with WJ alums to plan and execute the WJ Class of 1966 50th Anniversary Reunion. May we all enjoy good health and happiness!