His background includes service as a police officer for the City of Cape Girardeau, Missouri and various full-time capacities as an Active Guard Reserve officer. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a BS in Criminal Justice and has an MBA from Northcentral University. He completed advanced graduate studies at Southeast Missouri State University in Criminal Justice. He is a graduate of the Southeast Missouri Law Enforcement Academy, the U.S. Army Military Police Officer Basic Course, and numerous other military schools and courses. He served overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan.