I have been a State Farm agent in Pryor, Oklahoma since 1977. I grew up in Vinita, Oklahoma. A small town, of about 6,500 people, located in northeast Oklahoma. A community I have often described to people, not from there, as "Everybody's Mayberry." It was a tight knit community, which our parents, and community leaders were deeply committed to, and that everybody took great pride in. With my Dad serving, for a number of years, as the town's Mayor.
Like a lot of kids, from small Oklahoma towns, I grew up fishing, hunting, and playing all sports. With my Dad coaching many of my little league championship baseball teams. After earning special recognition All-State football honors in high school, I accepted a full scholarship offer from Oklahoma State University. After playing linebacker for four years at O.S.U. I accepted a graduate assistant's position on the coaching staff, from then head coach Jim Stanley. During that one year as a G.A. I had the unique privilege of getting to being an assistant coach to O.A. "Bum" Phillips and his son Wade..
After my year was up as a G.A. at O.S.U. and not wanting to coach at the college level, I took a teaching and coaching position offer at Splendor, Texas high school, about 30 miles north of Houston. Where I taught high school physical science, and was an assistant football coach and the head baseball coach. After only a year in Splendora, and wanting to move back closer to my family, I accepted the same teaching and coaching positions in Pryor, Oklahoma. I stayed in those positions with Pryor Public Schools for two years.
Then in 1977, when I became aware that the local State Farm agent, Ralph Jackson, was retiring, I made the decision to change careers. And that decision, after all these years, has proven to be the professional decision of my life. With my two brothers later becoming agents, as well as one of my nephews, and my daughter an auto claims Between us all, we have over 150 years with State Farm.
Then in 1996, while still operating my agency in Pryor, but also having a real passion for fly-fishing. I built Cedar Wood Lodge on the White River, near Flippin, Arkansas. It was there that I met, and became great friends, with world renowned fly-fisherman/artist Dave Whitlock. Dave, and his wife Emily, living in Mountain Home, Arkansas, were operating what was widely regarded as the fly-fishing school in America. The three of us then incorparated their fly-fishing school into the facilities I had built, and would run it, as a lodge/fly-fishing school for a decade together. Until I sold the lodge in 2006.
