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Education

University of Florida - Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in history and Certification in Eastern European Studies. I graduated in 1992, and did my capstone work focused on the Balkans. From this coursework, I gained an appreciation for the difficulties and struggles of Christians living under Ottoman domination. My capstone project was an exploration of Pan-Slavism and its influenceon the wars of liberation against the Turks.

University of Adam Mieckiewicz (Poznan, Poland) - My initial graduate work was done at a prominent University in Poznan, Poland. I arrived in Poland in 1992, and remained until late 1995. While there, I was also on the faculty as an Associate Professor. During this time, I also ran a language service and marketing company with some other Americans.

University of Phoenix - Master of Business Administration in Finance, concentration in project management. I got my MBA after having already completed the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and after having worked for a number of years for financial services companies. The combination of practical experience and academic training was very beneficial.

Work Experience

Professor - I taught for three years on the faculty of a major Polish university. Poznan is one of Poland's largest and richest cities.

Entrepreneur - While in Poland, American partners and I founded a language services company. We provided courses of English for students ranging from business executives to six year olds. We also provided other services such as document translation, marketing and brand management, and simulanteous translation. Among our clients were such American luminaries as Coke, Pepsi, and IBM along with many European multi-nationals like Nestle.

Campaign Management - In 1996, I worked as a professional campaign manager for a House race in Southern Georgia. It was a great exposure to the rough nature of partisan politics in the new South.

Financial Services Representative - After deciding that professional politics was harder than it looks on TV, I got my Series 7 and worked for two securities firms. I got into the business with Barnett Bank, the best company I ever worked for. After Barnett was gobbled up by NationsBank, I spent some time with Charles Schwab, which moved me to the Orlando, Florida area in 1998. While working at Schwab, I completed the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Software Consultant and Designer - My CFA background and my experience with banking got the attention of an Orlando-based affiliate of Computer Associates. They needed a person to fill a role that was quite unique. They needed one person who could:

• Consult with executives with top-tier banks
• Design financial software that would meet the needs of the complex financial marketplace
• Write for a variety of distribution channels
• Speak effectively
• Support sales and marketing efforts
• Manage technical projects
• Handle QA for major releases

While working in this demanding role, I completed my MBA in Finance and also got my Certified Treasury Professional certification.

Web Designer and Internet Entrepreneur - I began developing Websites in 1999 using the Microsoft Frontpage application. I continued doing static Web design through early 2006, when I made the jump to Joomla Content Management System. During the past few years, I've been privileged to work on some very exciting Web projects. Through CorFun, Inc., my Webservices company, we've also been blessed to launch some of our own wholly-owned eCommerce initiatives, like Orthodox Biz.

Political Involvement

I am a life-long member of the Republican Party. After September 11th, I began writing about both Islam and the status of Christians in Muslim-dominated countries. Relying on my background as a specialist in the Balkans, I saw my role as giving voice to the millions of oppressed Christians who could not speak for themselves.

I've been fortunate that my articles on Islam, and especially the Iraqi Christian community, have provided me a network of contacts around the world. In addition, I have been honored to have the opportunity to speak at many civic and Republican organizations over the past several years.

If you have a club or organization in Central Florida, then I'd love to speak to them also! Please drop me an email and we can look at scheduling a time for me to speak.

Family and Personal Life

I have been married for 12 years and have two children. My son is five and my daughter is almost three. My wife and I homeschool my son, and plan to continue this through high school for both children. We are both Orthodox Christians, having converted to Orthodoxy in 2000.

For my wife, converting to Orthodoxy meant being closer to the Roman Catholic Church in which she grew up in Poland. For me, having been raised as an Evangelical, Orthodoxy was a big transition.

My wife and I are both animal lovers with three dogs (two German Shepherds and a Boston Terrier we rescued off the street).