I am a native of southwestern Michigan.  I was raised on a small farm and learned many aspects of fruit crops from my father, a private fruit and vegetable consultant.  I received my BS in Botany/Plant Pathology from Michigan State University, my masters in Plant Pathology from North Carolina State University and my PhD in Plant Pathology from the University of Minnesota.  My education and experiences have focused on epidemiology, diagnosis, crop loss management and etiology of fungal and bacterial diseases of crops with emphasis on fruit crops. 

I am stationed at the SW Michigan Research and Extension Center by Benton Harbor since 1992 where I advise growers and direct/coordinate projects on a wide array of tree fruit crops with special emphasis on fruit training, variety evaluation, and rootstock evaluation.  I direct a peach variety breeding program at SWMREC.