I am a Physical Education Teacher at Mukwonago High School. This is my 30th year in the district and 36th overall in education. I also currently coach middle school basketball and track at Park View.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My wife, Kelly and I will be celebrating our 30th Anniversary in July. She is employed by Community Care as a Dietician. Our oldest son, Nate is 26 and lives with his wife Imane in Charlotte North Carolina. He is in the Sales Operations field and she is a Recruiter. Matt is a sophomore at UW-LaCrosse majoring in Special Education. Our daughter Marina is a Senior at MHS. She will be attending WCTC for Early Childhood Education.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I graduated from UW-LaCrosse in 1987. PE jobs were tough to come by back then. My first 2 years were spent at St. Edwards in Racine. I then subbed for a year. In 1990 I was hired as a K-8PE Teacher in Spencer Wisconsin. I was also the Girls Varsity Basketball Coach and coached Football too. In 1993 I got hired by the Mukwonago School District. My first 10 years I taught at Park View. I moved over to MHS in 2002 and have been there ever since. I have coached 2 sports for every year I have taught.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
DAA’S, Fork in the Road, Sol de Mexico and Boneyard
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
Over 30 years
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
I have met many interesting people in my 30 years of living in Mukwonago. Many have been already chronicled here. But I am going to go with Lee Purdy. Lee is a retired Math teacher and Coach from MHS. The last few years have not been kind to Lee as he has endured many health issues. You would never know this talking to Lee. He is the most positive person and has such a great outlook on life despite his health issues. If you ever feel sorry for yourself or are depressed about something, have a 10-minute conversation with Lee. He will put everything in perspective for you and you will walk away saying “my life isn’t so bad after all!”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
Well first I would say Charlotte, NC so I can see my son and daughter-in-law. Then I would say Hawaii to explore all the natural beauty.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
Caddyshack, Fletch, Old School, Spies Like Us, any Will Ferrell movie. For TV, I usually watch our state athletic teams. But we do enjoy FBI, NCIS, DDD, and you can never go wrong with Friends, Seinfeld, or the Big Bang Theory!
Q: What advice would you give to people?
My Dad instilled a strong work ethic into me. I believe to be successful in anything in life you have to work to achieve it. I have tried to pass this onto my kids. Life should not be easy. This is how we learn and get better. It is ok to make mistakes but through hard work we must learn from these mistakes. Being mentally tough while you make mistakes and after is how we improve.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
Attending the Masters Golf Tournament and taking that vacation to Hawaii!
Q: What is your go to band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
Boston, Journey, Styx, 38 Special, Bruce Springsteen and Foo Fighters
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
I really miss Lobdell’s Sentry. It was a great smaller grocery store with a good meat market. Also miss Fennels Shoe Store. I will go with Fork in the Road. I remember when it was Vista Gardens and also Olden Days.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
This is a tough question. I would love to say my Dad who passed in 2018. Would give anything to have one more meal with him. I will say Shaka Smart. I am a huge Marquette fan and I love how he brought the program back to prominence. Let’s go to the Dockside and sit on the deck overlooking Lake Beulah!
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
I would say the proximity to a lot of activities. We have beautiful lakes and woods but yet we are 30 minutes from a Brewer or Bucks game.
Q: What have you done to make Mukwonago a better place?
Being a Coach and Teacher in the district for 30 years I hope I have affected many of my students in a positive way. I hope they have learned the importance of taking care of your body and the importance of exercise in everyday life. I hope my students and athletes have learned important life lessons from me that will help them succeed in life.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
I am retiring this year after 36 years in education. I will probably still be living in Mukwonago but hopefully spending more time up north and also somewhere warm in the winter. I also hope to have some grandkids.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
Hmmm, let’s go with the fact that I am one of the few basketball coaches in the state that has ever coached both the boys and girls Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association All Star Games.
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Orange Beach Alabama, Eagle River, Door County and Sedona Arizona
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
My favorite month is March because of March Madness and the WIAA Basketball Tournament. My favorite holiday is probably Thanksgiving. This holiday is all about family and friends and it has not been commercialized. Not too much anyway! Single day would be the day we go to either Eagle River or Door County for our family vacations.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
With a son and daughter-in-law across the country and another son in college, I will say when they are all back home and we are all together as a family.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
The memories of my Dad and father-in-law and my wife.
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
Movie theater popcorn, freshly mowed grass on a golf course, and from back in the day, my Mom’s freshly baked bread.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Family, friends, love and respect
