About Me

I started learning at an early age that diverse backgrounds lead to diverse perspectives, which lead to more informed dialogue, better engagement, and ultimately superior decision-making. This is a lesson I have applied throughout my career. I have tried to discipline myself to be curious, collaborate, build teams with disparate viewpoints, establish common goals, then seek the best solution leveraging and distilling the team’s diversity of thought.

Not surprisingly, a degree in political science from Pepperdine University served to deepen my understanding and appreciation for a global perspective in my work and also in my faith-walk as a Christian. I am known for being a goal-oriented collaborator, developing strong talent, investing in younger leaders, building high-performing diverse teams globally, and delivering superior results all from a perspective informed by my Christian faith.

I believe my curiosity led me to Wycliffe Bible Translators in August of 1983. I, along with my wife and four small children, signed up for Bible translation because of the impact of God’s Word had in our own lives. My conviction was that there were people in the world who couldn’t understand the Bible who had a right to have access to it—in fact, it was an injustice that needed righting. I remain convinced that there’s nothing God cannot express in everyday language, in the language people use every day—their mother tongue—and when He speaks, He becomes a part of their culture; He is no longer a foreign God.

I have served in a variety of positions including leadership roles in the Wycliffe Global Alliance and SIL International. I was the SIL field director in Cameroon and Chad, West Africa, SIL International Filed Operations Director, and International Vice President for Personnel for Wycliffe and SIL. My board service includes: the Board of Directors of SIL International, the Board Directors of the Wycliffe Global Alliance, The Seed Company, Crisis Consulting International, and the American School of Yaoundé. I am also a founding member and served on the Steering Committee for Every Tribe Every Nation, an alliance of the 10 largest Bible translation organizations in the world dedicated to ending Bible Poverty, served a founding member of Table 71, an alliance of mission partners dedicated to reducing the number of unreached people groups to zero, and chaired the Executive Committee of the North America Forum of Bible Agencies, a group of mission agencies determined to defeat Biblical illiteracy in the USA by helping people engage with the Bible.

I served as the President/CEO of Wycliffe Bible Translators USA for 15 years before retiring from Wycliffe. During my years as President of Wycliffe Bible Translator USA, I worked closely with a team, including Paul Edwards, to launch and successfully bring to completion a billion dollar funding campaign, Reaching the Last Languages, to help start the remaining Bible translations needed by the year 2025. During my period of leadership of Wycliffe, we were featured on the Forbes’ 2017 list of America’s Best Midsized Employers, rating #20 overall out of 301 employers. Named in Best Christian Workplace as an Outstanding Leader in 2009, I am also the author of The Finish Line, Stories of Hope through Bible Translation.

When not working, I enjoy spending time with my wife, Dallas, our adult children, their spouses, and our grandchildren. I also enjoy an occasional hike and bike ride!