After high school I attended Stanford University. My sophomore summer I joined a group called Volunteers in Asia and spent six weeks in Macao, teaching English to refugees who had escaped Red China. It’s amazing the price some people are willing to pay for freedom. I spent the last of my senior year at Stanford-in-Italy, living and studying in Florence, and hitch-hiking through Spain on my break.

Three weeks after returning from Italy I was in Quantico, Virginia, in Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS). The war in Vietnam was heating up, and I didn’t want to miss it. I spent a tour of duty in Vietnam as an infantry platoon commander, and fought in the siege of Khe Sanh in 1968.

After the Marine Corps, I attended Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. That led me into the advertising agency business. I worked first in New York, and then in Chicago, for large, international ad agencies. My favorite account was John Deere International, promoting tractors and farm equipment in Mexico.

Chicago was a great place to live, but it was a long way away from what I really enjoyed: skiing, backpacking and fly-fishing. So in 1977 I returned to Denver to work for a local ad agency on the Johns-Manville International business. Two years later I joined another local agency, where I spent 13 years managing accounts, developing new business, and ultimately serving on the board of directors. My favorite account was The Gates Rubber Company (now Gates Corporation). Gates later became a client for my own copywriting business, and remains so today.

In 1994 I launched my own small firm (of one), which I called The Marks Group (to look bigger). My alimony and child care payments exceeded my income, so a year later I opted to join a small agency for the comfort of a salary. There I met Athena, the woman I wish I had known all along (although she was only two years old when I was graduating from high school). We were married in 1999. By then I was working for a healthcare marketing firm as a copywriter/creative director.

In 2001 I lost my job and resurrected The Marks Group. No more bosses. No more layoffs. I was free to work my own hours. Athena joined me in the business, so now we were truly a group (of two). That’s the way we’ve kept it ever since. I’m the writer; she’s the doer. And she’s become as passionate about fly-fishing as I am, so I have the perfect partner in work and play.

After a year at CSU I dropped out to work for a year and ended up joining the Army.  I was trained as a "Heavy equipment operator" and spent a year in Thailand building roads.  The rest of my service time was spent in Missouri and Louisiana.  After I returned to Colorado I went to work for Coors where I had several careers while the company paid for my education.  After 35 years I retired as an Engineering Technician.

I got married in 1970 and we had two boys.  I was divorced in 1977 and spent close to ten years as a single Dad.  I married Bernadette Medina in 1987,we celebrated our 25th annaversary this Spring.  Bernadette has a boy and a girl, so for a while we had up to three kids in college at one time.  So far I only have one grandson. 

Since retiring I have been active with the Golden Elks Lodge.  Bernadette and I enjoy travel, hiking, and golf.  My latest personal adventure is learning to throw potts on the wheel at the Arvada Center. 

Received a bachelor of science degree/businesss - University of Colorado, 1967.  After spending time in the service, eventually formed my own Real Estate and Construction companies in Denver, primarily investing in commercial properties and remodeling houses in Capitol Hill.  The aviation "bug" bit and I became a flight instructor at Centennial Airport and eventually built an airplane in my garage, flew it 9 years to 48 states and Mexico, before selling it recently. 



We enjoyed our exchange student from Belguim for 1 year while she attended high school in Denver.  Our time was very rewarding for being a foster parent to 8 children.  Am currently living in Southern California and spending time with grand children, playing golf, volunteering (trauma intervention) and west coast sunsets.  Best wishes to everyone.  God Bless