In 1987 graduated from Bowling Green State University with a B.A. in political science and a minor in economics. There he attended the United Nations in New York, interned for Congressman Michael DeWine and served as a Page for State Senator David Hobson. Upon graduation he worked for the Ohio Public Utilities Commission on consumer issues, energy conservation and nuclear safety. He obtained his Master’s in Counseling from The Ohio State University in 1993 and his Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Akron in 1998. He interned VA Hospital Danville Ill., completing rotations in psychiatry, health psychology and neuropsychology.