The Designer

I'm a "Midwesterner" (and for international visitors, this is the upper-central region of the United States). I was born in Minnesota, lived in Iowa and essentially grew up in Northern Ohio. For the past 30 years, I've settled in Indiana, Central Indiana to be exact... Indianapolis, home of the Colts NFL football team, the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 auto-races and several notable universities (Purdue - IU - Butler). I've travelled the entire U.S., hiked in almost every National Park and had the opportunity to visit parts of Canada, Mexico and Northern Europe.

For me, change is a way of life... my father's profession as a Pastor (now retired) involved relocating our family every few years and adapting the family to unfamiliar environments. My mother was a fashion artist-illustrator and a gifted painter, probably from whom I inherited the relentless creativity and non-traditional thinking. My wife, also a "Midwesterner" enjoys her profession as an RN OCN. She keeps me balanced and in touch with my human side and genuinely supports my creativity and perpetual drive to "think outside the box". My younger brother still has "travel and change" in his blood, he works as a tour guide for Trek America and a seasonal park ranger in Yellowstone National Park.

The following paragraphs are a brief outline of my creative and technical contributions. Click here for a detailed professional biography, located on the Imagineering-Web site (my primary business web site).

The diversity of my career involvement is continually reflected in a growing number of consumer and industrial products available on the market, manufactured and sold by large corporations and equally successful small businesses.

While attending college in the late 70's - early 80's and working full or part time, I entered the business world as a draftsman, designing industrial air handling components for an HVAC company, then on to drafting and developing tools for a division of General Motors for 2 semesters of Co-Op work experience. I enjoyed the brief factory exposure, but moved on to developing consumer plumbing fixtures (faucets), water closets and shower fittings for Delta Faucet Co. After 11 years in the plumbing industry, where I was introduced to almost every material and manufacturing process imaginable, I transitioned to something entirely different (and notably more exciting!)... designing automotive audio components (speakers) for Harman-Becker International.

The 4 years in the electronics industry ended when a supplier lured me away to work on the development of composite racing bicycles and auto racing components. The next adventure was a packaging designer for Inland Container... a significant change from past hi-tech experiences, but the engineering and science involved with combining paper and starch (corrugated box materials) is quite interesting. Next was a short stint in the automation (robotics) industry, designing assembly cell components. Then, out of nowhere came the next big adventure... working for a small family owned company, designing advanced industrial shipping containers, custom pallets and related structural items entirely from rotationally molded plastics.

Since late 2005, I've operated a freelance design business, the Imagineering-Web. In a typical week, I could be working on the development of advanced engines or children's toys and almost anything in-between including medical devices, consumer products, pet accessories or industrial machines. I use the latest version of SolidWorks CAD (computer aided design software) and keep current with business productivity software, computer hardware and emerging technologies.

Reflecting on my 30 years of diverse industry experience, I realize it's time to focus my creative effort into product development and energy systems that benefit the sustainability of mankind and preservation of our ecosystem. This is not just an empty statement but truly what I believe.

Our resources and ecosystems are diminishing at an astonishing rate, influenced by many factors including the human population explosion and demands by emerging societies for raw materials, water and food (and land to grow it on). Ignoring the politically charged "global warming" bandwagon with all the good intentions and humorous carbon credit system and simply observing the development in regions that but a few years ago were struggling to survive, a wise individual can witness for themselves the dramatic change taking place. This is indeed the social-economic flattening of our world, as economies rise and others diminish, stretching the demand for literally... everything.

Unfortunately, most of us ignore the incredible number of humans living in sub-standard conditions (by modern or Western comparison) who need assistance with infrastructure, clean water, food and shelter (yes, even here in the United States!). I believe that I can help, if given the financial opportunity to dedicate all of my time and effort toward the development of products and systems that are eco-friendly, promote sustainable living, innovative by design and ultimately cost-effective to manufacture.

If we chance to talk in person, I will explain the "complete circle" of training, production, construction and community involvement regarding the Millennium-Home design. There are many people, from all walks of life who will benefit from this "factory modular" aspect of home building and supporting a community development of a sectional monolithic homes.

From a career designer's perspective, true success is realized through product introductions, their implementation by mankind and how we've improved and positively influenced the lives of others.

There are several other products on the "back burner" that I've conceptually designed but require more detailed design and engineering effort, prototype construction and field testing. Below are a few examples of potential energy sources that are readily available but not optimized or even invented yet (confidential technical details are not disclosed).

Solar recharging, translucent window blinds (PDF doc.) For use in most standard windows that provide supplemental electricity for charging battery powered devices (e.g. iPods, radios, flashlights, laptops). Ease of use and installation by average consumers with be the challenge involved.

Micro water turbine generators (PDF doc.) Installed in-line with standard household plumbing, coupled with solar and micro-wind generator systems which provide supplemental electricity in either stored mode (batteries or capacitors) or in a recharging configuration for the EV and hybrid cars emerging on the market (grid power required only as a backup).

New wind-power generation devices, interconnected arrays utilizing standard roof ridge vents as inductors to supplement whole house energy capture (wind, solar, hydro and other means under consideration). Vertical wind-towers (unlike the standard, large propeller blade "farms" currently in use). Wind farms are traditionally an eyesore, these vertical (a much smaller footprint) wind-towers are more efficient, less costly to construct and less obtrusive to the surrounding environment.

Water "head" stored energy source, Water towers modified (slightly) as a means of generating electricity (a liquid-mass "battery"). The structures already exist all around us, in every city, town and borough... we could be using the stored energy to supplement our electricity demands.

A technology breakthrough engine / electrical generator (PDF doc.) The HB Circumferential Engine is currently under development. It works on logical and physical / electrical / magnetic principles not commonly taught or discussed in universities and conservative scientific circles. We have identified a developmental budget and timeline to complete the design, prototyping and initial testing. If the prototype validation and operational success of this power / energy producing device is successful, a reasonably high potential exists for investors to thrive on the financial windfall. This device will undoubtedly change our societal infrastructure as we know it, but our design team's motivation for success is NOT entirely financially driven... we hold a deep commitment to mankind, our planet and the survival of future generations.