When did you join the University?
I came to UC Davis as an undergraduate in 1988. But having played football for the Aggies and captain in 1992, I really never left. Aggie Pride really never leaves you. I joined the University in August 2015.

What's your day-to-day role in stewarding university resources?
As the campus physical therapist in occupational health services, I’m part of our safety services team in helping to keep our faculty/staff safe and healthy while at work. But should an injury occur at work, I assist them in their recovery by providing on-campus workers compensation physical therapy services. We help to get the injured worker back to their job as soon safely possible. My clinic, i.e. “the body shop” is located right on campus at the Cowell Building.

“I try to listen, open my heart and treat all my patients as if I were treating my wife, my parents or my friends.”

What's an example of how you delight customers?
My formula is simple and it’s worked for 20 years as a physical therapist. I try to listen, open my heart and treat all my patients as if I were treating my wife, my parents or my friends. I believe that if you deliver the best quality, do it efficiently and with their best interests in mind, they feel it and get better faster. My patients are busy and have important contributions to make to our university. I just try be myself, make treatment relevant to their job and teach them the exercises to aid them in self recovery from their temporary pain.

What do you like best about working at UC Davis?
What’s not to like! Before coming back home to UC Davis, I drove 70+ miles a day throughout Yolo County. Now, I ride my bike to work!  Really, the best part of working at UC Davis’ Occupational Health Clinic is that we work together as a team. My UC Davis coaches would always preach, “There is no “I” in “TEAM”. We have a best in class team of physicians and allied health clinicians all focused on the same mission: Servicing the campus community’s safety, health and wellness every day. We have a tremendous advantage in treating our patients in that we are able to communicate, collaborate and adjust treatment plans quickly and efficiently because we are on campus and understand each job at UC Davis. On-campus treatment, with on-site and in depth knowledge of what my patients do is a win for all and makes work fun every day.

What's the most challenging part of your job?
Trying to balance what’s work related and not work related. Society has been conditioned to look for some cause and effect that really isn’t there sometimes. I have learned to just ignore the noise and challenge my patients to take ownership of their pain and together we can develop the skills to reduce that pain which is effecting their work.

Tell us something about yourself that most people wouldn’t know. 
Being an Aggie for life, I will never wear “Sac State green”. I don’t own anything or wear anything green. Never have, never will.  Most people wouldn’t know that I used to own two Togo’s and a Baskin Robbins franchises.

What’s something you like to do when you’re not at work?
My wife Aimee also played basketball for the Aggies, so sports are a major part of ours and our two boy’s lives. Our family does not miss many Aggie football or basketball games. But if I do miss, it’s because I dedicate many hours to coaching youth football, basketball and baseball here in Davis. I also enjoy fishing and working out.