About My Life and Work

I am a writer, editor, and consultant exploring the themes of involved citizenship, environmental sustainability, and the wonder of everyday life.

I grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where I attended the University of Manitoba (Arts and Education). I now live in Brandon, Manitoba with my wife Meg. We have three grown children.

Until the program ended in 2006, I was the general manager of Westman Recycling, operating a community recycling program. A highlight occurred when colleague Tim Wiebe and I received the award from the Brandon Regional Health Authority and the Brandon Chamber of Commerce for "Best Boss of 2004."

For more about the recycling story in Brandon, see Blue Bag System Abruptly Abandoned.

Examples of work in the past few years:

• the column Citizen Active for the Brandon Sun;
• public education for the Canada Volunteerism Initiative (CVI): 
• survey and report for the Manitoba Association of Regional Recyclers (MARR);
• editing for the Manitoba Council for International Co-operation (MCIC); 
• article writing for Design Your Home magazine; 
• historical walking tours for Brandon Heritage; and 
• waste management and recycling projects for:
• consulting firm Earthbound Environmental / AET Group, 
• Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (CBCRA), and
• Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba (MMSM).  
  

I also have been a member, supporter, and volunteer with many non-profit  organizations over the years in areas such as local community service, the environment, and international development.

To explore the theme of the "citizen active" lifestyle, I have developed the website Live Well, Do Good. As examples, see Walking the Camino de Santiago as well as Tips for Charitable Giving.

Income tax preparation has been a long-time interest. I have worked as a tax preparer and instructor of courses on the subject. This field rewards me with challenging work, meeting great people, and interesting ideas to write about. See Tax Time Offers Folks a Chance to Reflect as well as Pay More Income Tax?

Finally, I am fascinated by the arc of one life as illuminated in an obituary. This led me to create the website Obituary Guide. It has thoughts and tips about writing an obituary, including suggestions for getting started on your own. For more about this intriguing topic, see Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Stories as well as Writing Your Own Obituary Offers Chance for Reflection.