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You have lived in California, Texas and Minnesota. Why Des Moines?

That’s a good question. I grew up in Southern California, went to Minnesota to go to school, then I went to Austin. People ask that a lot, “Why the hell are you at where you are right now?” But the Midwest is just the right place for me to be. After a few years down in Texas, I just wasn’t feeling comfortable. I was looking for a chance to come back to the Midwest, and the opportunity to come to The Integer Group actually accomplished a few things for me – it got me back to the Midwest, close to my wife’s family and the right opportunity with an agency that is going forward and expanding its media. And having lived just north of here, I had been to Des Moines a few times and it’s a city that would allow my family to keep the lifestyle we had in Austin, but still give me the challenges I was looking for at work.

What are your main responsibilities in your new role?

I am responsible for all of the media planning and buying that Integer performs for its clients. What I was brought in to do was to drive the planning function to a higher level and bring more accountability to the buying side, so that we can provide more robust offers for the clients that we work for.

What has been one of your best career experiences?

I think it’s less a single moment and more of just working in the industry. One of the greatest things about the industry is the people. That is another driver as to why I am here; The Integer Group has wonderful people. But I think the thing I enjoy the most about the industry is just the insight into how businesses run and helping them develop those things.

If you could have a dream job, what would it be?

Besides working at Integer in Des Moines? If money were no object, I would love to be a veterinarian.

Does work stop when you leave the office?

No, particularly in this industry, and especially from a media perspective. We are always looking for new and innovative ways to communicate for our clients, so every advertisement that I see, I evaluate it and say, “What would that do for my client?” So my job is 24-7. The media industry strives to be the master of popular culture.

What would be your ideal work schedule?

To be honest with you, for me, the agency is an ideal work schedule. It keeps me actively thinking all the time. So I guess you could say I am living the dream.

Is there anything you look back at during your career and think, “I wish I would have done that differently?”

Yeah, there are a lot of things that I look back at – specific projects. The difficult thing in my line of work is the proliferation of media. It is impossible to stay on top of everything. And there are things that I look back at and say, “That would have been perfect in this case,” but sometimes it didn’t even exist yet, so we are never satisfied. We always look back and say, “How could this have been better?”

Do you have a morning pick-me-upper?

No. I swore off caffeine for the most part about a year and a half ago, so for me, it’s more just punk music on the way to work. I was having a lot of caffeine headaches and realized I was drinking way too much, and so I cut back and was just feeling better.

Is there one thing you cannot leave home without?

My iPod. I listen to it while I’m at work.

What music do you have on your iPod?

Everything from Dave Brubeck to Bad Religion to Broadway show tunes. It’s all over the place. But I can say there’s no country, except Johnny Cash.

Is the glass half full or half empty?

It’s the wrong-sized glass. It’s a different way to look at the same problem.

What is one word that best describes you?

Diverse.