I graduated high school owning a Buick, a motorcycle, a desire to become a mechanic, and a wish to take a cross country motorcycle trip. The journey began with a 1 year stop at the University of Kentucky where I gained 40 pounds and grew 6 inches. Both looked good on me.

In 1973 I transferred to General Motors Institute co-op Engineering program in Flint, Michigan working for Buick Motor Division. I graduated with a Mechanical Engineer Automotive degree in 1978 and I was also a pretty good mechanic.

I took a motorcycle trip to Florida, back the east coast, through Pittsburgh to Michigan as a graduation present.

Life’s goals accomplished, I settled in to what co-op students call the 30 year work section, (currently year 34) bought a house south of Flint where I still live today, and married Barb, another Buick co-op student in 1982. For the next many years; life was good. We had our first child Steven in 85 and Pam in 87. The auto industry was doing well. We had jobs we liked. Both kids were smart and healthy. I worked in all areas of engine, transmission, and vehicle design and manufacturing at Buick but ended up doing complete vehicle testing on all GM cars at the Milford Proving Grounds.

I’ll admit, testing cars at the Proving Grounds is fun. I never predicted I would help save the planet but several projects let me contribute. (Are you listening Paul Josephson?) My designs helped GM introduce environmentally friendly air conditioning systems in the 90s. In 2005 I became the lead test engineer on a GM electric car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. Currently I am in charge of Validation testing for the Chevrolet Volt.

I repeated my motorcycle trip route in a pre - production Volt in the fall of 2010 and represented GM by speaking at the Pittsburgh Auto show and Carnegie Mellon University when we launched the Volt in 2011. My claim to fame, I made the local paper.

As many have noted, ‘life was good’ often hits a speed bump. Barb and I divorced in 2004. The auto industry turned sour and GM went bankrupt in 2008. Every Buick plant I worked in has been torn down.

I’ve been in Michigan 39 years, but still call Pittsburgh home. I’ve always stayed close to family and friends there and a with a couple school friends who moved away. I attend at least one live Steeler game per year and watch the rest from a local BWW. My daughter is as big a Steeler fan as I am and has gone to several games with me. Her first two years of medical school were in Greensburg, so she experienced a little bit of Pittsburgh life.

Looking forward, I see me retiring from GM in the next two years and I have a condo in W Palm Beach waiting. There are a couple good Steeler bars there too.

I’m excited to see everyone at the reunion. Mt. Lebanon was a pretty nice place to grow up.