Hi... I'm Tom!

By day, I’m a full-time software engineer working remotely from my peaceful spot in Pleasant Valley. By night (or at least in my past life), I spent 26 years navigating the wild world of hospitality management—everything from flipping burgers to fine dining, catering, bar service, and even wrangling the chaos at a 5-star resort.

My wife, Kari, and our daughter, Alexandria, made the move with me to Howard about 20 years ago, fleeing the Southern California rat race—because let’s be honest, the endless gridlock and eight-lane highways were slowly eroding our souls. Howard felt like a breath of fresh air, a quieter community without the looming specter of subdivisions popping up overnight.

From the moment we arrived, the locals embraced us—despite our So-Cal origins! I wasn’t totally unfamiliar with country living, having spent my childhood on an 80-acre farm in Southern Wisconsin, but transitioning from a cozy 750-square-foot condo to 13 acres of land was still an adventure.

Now, we share our little slice of heaven with three horses (they made the trip from California with us), two dogs, three mischievous goats, and somewhere in the ballpark of a couple hundred thousand bees. Give or take.

I see my volunteer work with AVAD and other local organizations as my way of giving back to the incredible community that welcomed us with open arms two decades ago. We have an amazing group of volunteers, and I feel lucky to work alongside them every day.