I grew up in Great Bend, Kansas where I lived the first 23 years of my life. I’m the youngest of five siblings. My mother was the hardest working person I know and always taught me the importance of hard work and having respect for others. 

I graduated from Great Bend High in 1997. Following graduation, I worked several jobs including working at an organization that allowed me to work with individuals with physical disabilities. It was there that I had the pleasure of working alongside a physical therapist. After seeing the progress these individuals made and the joy they had with the progress, I knew what I wanted to do. 

I graduated from Colby Community College in 2005 with an Associates in Applied Science. Immediately following my graduation, a position at Hays Medical Center became available where I had the great opportunity to work for 17 years. I’ve been married to my beautiful wife Sharon (Leikam) since 2010. She was born and raised in Hays, and is currently the Administrator at the Ellis Good Samaritan Society. We have been blessed with two perfect children. Lauren, the oldest, is a recent Kansas State University graduate, earning her degree in business. Levi is my sports obsessed son who keeps us busy almost year round with athletics. 

My hobbies and interests include: coaching my kids over the years, golfing, camping, spending as much time with my family as possible, and cheering on the Wildcats, Chicago Bears, and the Kansas City Royals.