maintenance support to advance troops
fighting in remote areas,” Steve said. “We
were in harm’s way, and all our military
training kicked in. As a unit commander I
relied on my training to help me identify
which of my troops had the expertise to
take on each role effectively. We quickly
learned to deal with fear and still make
good decisions.”
After a military career of 13 years and
many moves, Steve was ready for civilian
life. His wife and three children were too.
Linda recalled that Steve worked hard to
balance the demands of career and family,
but she was ready to have him home.
“Steve is a wonderful husband and a
great father,” Linda said. “When our kids
were growing up, he was strict but very
loving. He taught them what it takes to be
successful in life.”
Educational Leader and Mentor
After the Gulf War and a stint as an auditor
at NBC, Steve landed a position as Manager
of Internal Auditing with the Los Angeles
Community College District. At the time,
LACCD was the world’s largest such district
with nine colleges serving 100,000 students.
In 1996, Steve was appointed Dean of
Business Services at Gavilan College – a
three-year position that allowed him to
grow professionally and implement some of
his ideas. He and Linda bought a home in
Morgan Hill and settled into life in a small
town. In 1999, he enrolled at Golden Gate
University to pursue his doctoral degree
in Business Administration while working
part-time as an Accounting Instructor in
the university’s business program.
Steve said that because the government’s
educational policies and regulations are con-
stantly changing, accounting and auditing