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• Al was born and raised in southwest Jefferson County in a tight-knit, Catholic, working-class family. Al is the youngest of four siblings, all earning college degrees. At an early age, I was taught a strong “work ethic” and the importance of Christian values such as love, honesty, and respect, especially those who may be different in some way.   

• Al graduated from Bishop David High School in 1982 and the University of Louisville in 1988. While in college, he worked the second shift as a Teamster to pay his own way through school.  

• After earning a degree in Geology, Al worked in the western United States for North American Exploration, Inc., a private consulting firm specializing in mineral exploration. 

• After a short time in the mineral exploration industry, Al returned to Kentucky to complete his postgraduate work in Hydrogeology at the University of Kentucky and began working in the Environmental Consulting industry. He specialized in subsurface assessment and remediation of contaminant releases for companies in the private sector and internal environmental compliance auditing for the United States Department of Defense. 

• In 1993, working as a Hydrogeologist, Al was involved in a tragic workplace drilling accident that took his dominant right arm. Despite the tragedy, Al didn’t quit, and despite his disability, continued to work another 4 years as a consulting Hydrogeologist before his “new life” and challenges eventually took him down another path.

•  After his accident, Al began competing in golf events for amputee athletes and just one year later created the Kentucky Amputee Tournament (which led to Amputee Golf Charities), the first of four non-profit entities that he would start over the next twenty years, all of which still operate.

• Also, in 1994, Al married Rhonda, his girlfriend, when the accident occurred, and has played a big role in his success. Al & Rhonda have been married for 30 years and have a daughter and a son.

• In 1997, Al left his science career and started a Real Estate Investment business, which he has owned for 27 years. Al found his entrepreneurial niche in real estate by acquiring single-family houses from individuals who desperately needed to sell them quickly to avoid foreclosure, improve them, then lease them to individuals on the rebound financially, working with them to re-establish their credit rating, and giving them the opportunity to buy the house from him when they are able to qualify for financing; Al also continued his non-profit work using the game of golf as rehabilitative medicine for people w. disabilities. 

• In 2000, Al founded the North American One-Armed Golfer Association, his second non-profit entity. This organization provides competitive events for individuals of all ages and genders with upper extremity disabilities. The organization adopted Al’s “Never Quit” motto and has positively affected thousands of lives in the past 24 years.

• Also, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Al had become a father, and since his wife Rhonda was also a professional with Humana, he took an active role in helping raise two children. Al was active in both kids’ schools and local youth sports leagues, coaching youth sports.  

• Al created his third non-profit entity in 2008, an international event staged biennially, alternatively in Europe and America. It is a multi-day golf competition, in the spirit of the Ryder Cup, between the top 12 North American one-armed golfers and the top 12 from Europe.

• In 2014-15, Al inspired his biggest non-profit entity yet, the United States Adaptive Golf Alliance (USAGA), bringing together many adaptive golf organizations into one voice under the spirit of Inclusion. Al then co-authored the first ever Competitive Standards manual for Adaptive Golf in the United States and solely created a Player Ranking System for men, women, juniors, and senior golfers with disabilities from 15 different sport classes based upon their level of disability impairment. USAGA currently has over 45 member organizations nationwide.

• In 2022, inducted into the EAGA Amputee Golf Hall-of-Fame for his playing abilities and national leadership accomplishments.   

• Al ran for public office for the first time in his career in 2016 and was victorious, elected as a State Representative in the 46th House District. Al has been re-elected three times (2018, 2020, 2022) and is serving in his fourth term.        

 

Al’s diverse background and education as a scientist, small business owner, and non-profit leader have prepared him well with the leadership expertise, communication skills, and problem-solving acumen to be an outstanding State Representative. In his first four terms, he has more than demonstrated this to be true by developing networks, earning the utmost respect amongst his colleagues & government staff, and being very productive in impacting policy.