Law
I am licensed to practice Law. I wish that I had been able to be a full time lawyer along with everything else that I chose to do. It is a very satisfying career. The license and the knowledge give you power and when you have power, you get to examine your character. I would like to believe that I used my power as a lawyer for the greater good.
Accounting
I am a Certified Public Accountant; a CPA. Accounting is the language of commerce or, more directly, the language of money. If you are going to have more than a passing interest in money, I suggest that you learn to “speak the language.”
I became a CPA early in my career when I practiced (primarily as a management consultant) at Price Waterhouse in Seattle and in the National Office in New York.
Teaching
Teaching has been my avocation and my sustaining hobby throughout my business career. It keeps me sharp and young because students are unforgiving and demanding. It gives me satisfaction because I get a group of 20 to 30 year olds who listen to me and are persuaded that I am, at least in that context, worth listening to. (I apologize for ending a sentence with a preposition.) I have taught at North Seattle Community College and Seattle Central Community College and The University of Washington Foster School of Business and the Seattle University Albers School of Business and Cornish College of the Arts. I am currently teaching at the University of Washington School of Law and the University Behind Bars at the penitentiary in Monroe Washington.
Speaking of Lecturing…
I have lectured on a variety of subjects throughout the United States. My kids have questioned the source of my “expertise” and I admit it is self-designated. I have also lectured and taught in Europe and Asia, including Afghanistan and Hong Kong. My career has all oriented me toward speaking to high school kids at Ingraham High School on April 3, 2013.