Charleston, South Carolina, United States
I am an author, speaker, aviation lawyer, Navy veteran, and leadership professional with a passion for legacy leadership, service, and helping others lead with character under pressure. Over the course of a 35-year career spanning military service, aviation, law, and corporate leadership, I have learned that the best leaders are not remembered simply for titles or accomplishments, but for the lasting impact they have on people, organizations, and future generations. Much of my writing and speaking focuses on that idea: what it means to become a legacy leader. Professionally, I have held senior leadership roles in the aerospace and aviation industries, including executive legal and safety leadership positions at major organizations such as Boeing and Delta Air Lines. My experience includes aviation law, operational leadership, crisis management, regulatory compliance, ethics, and decision-making in high-pressure environments. In 2026, I was honored to be selected by SCBiz News as a South Carolina “Leader in Law” in recognition of my legal career and civic contributions to both the legal profession and the state of South Carolina. I also served for 30 years in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Flight Officer and retired as a Navy Captain. During my military career, I commanded three units, including a P-3 squadron, and had the privilege of serving alongside extraordinary sailors and leaders around the world. Today, I speak and write about leadership, professionalism, accountability, culture, resilience, and navigating pressure with integrity. My presentations combine practical leadership lessons, sea stories, humor, and real-world experiences drawn from military aviation, corporate leadership, and the practice of law. My first leadership book, Lessons from the Admiral: Naval Wisdom and Sea Stories for Leaders, became an Amazon bestseller, received a Book Excellence Award in Leadership, and is now in its third printing. The book shares leadership lessons and stories from a lifetime in naval aviation, law, and executive leadership. I am also the author of Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape, the first title in the Shipshape Shipmates children’s series. Through storytelling and memorable characters, the series teaches young readers timeless values such as teamwork, courage, gratitude, kindness, and leadership. Whether speaking to corporate leaders, military audiences, students, lawyers, or community organizations, my goal is simple: to encourage others to lead well, serve others, and leave a positive legacy that endures long after they are gone.
▪️ Ombudsperson for over 1300 employees worldwide who have delegated responsibilities to act on behalf of the FAA. ▪️ Report to the company’s Chief Aerospace Safety Officer and the Aviation Safety Committee of the Board of Directors.
▪️ Senior executive on the South Carolina leadership team with over ten years of strategic leadership for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner manufacturing and research operations in South Carolina. ▪️ Lead lawyer for The Boeing Company's Chief Engineer, Boeing Engineering and Boeing's Confident Travel Initiative during the Covid pandemic. ▪️ Lead counsel on all engineering and FAA regulatory and compliance matters for The Boeing Company.
▪️ Lead corporate counsel and trusted advisor for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner manufacturing and research operations in South Carolina. Partner with business operations since the inception of the SC site. Strategic leader building highly successful legal team delivering impressive results with over 6500 employees and a capital investment of over $2 billion. ▪️ Demonstrated achiever on fast paced, complex, major growth business plans and projects involving manufacturing operations, land acquisition, state and local government incentives, and labor and employment matters.
▪️ Senior Military Officer in multiple command roles. Naval Flight Officer completing 6 years active duty and 24 years in the Navy Reserve with three tours as a Commanding Officer. Over 3000 hours in the P-3 Orion with a specialty of joint military operations, contingency planning and anti-submarine warfare. ▪️ Unique combination of operational, leadership, and legal expertise. Simultaneously managed and excelled in both reserve officer and civilian career leadership roles. ▪️ Chief of Staff of the Navy Reserve Policy Board. Three time recipient of the Legion of Merit Medal for exceptional performance and leadership.
▪️ Leader of the Nelson Mullins Southeast Aviation Law Practice Group handling complex aviation litigation and federal regulatory matters. ▪️ Built and managed a multi-million dollar law practice defending major air carriers and aviation manufacturers in high value claims and managing high visibility aviation cases in multiple state and federal jurisdictions. ▪️ Led a business-focused land use and zoning practice with expertise in major commercial project development and approval in fast growing municipalities and near major airports. ▪️ Successfully defended major air carriers and senior pilots in FAA enforcement actions and civil penalty cases.
▪️ Responsible for coordination of all insured passenger litigation and FAA/DOT/TSA regulatory compliance and enforcement issues. ▪️ Member of the Emergency Response Team and legal counsel for NTSB matters. ▪️ Operations Attorney during 9/11.
▪️ Associate litigation attorney handling clients such as CSX and Coca-Cola in all phases of litigation and discovery.