I was born and raised in St. Louis. After graduating from St. Louis U High and St. Louis University, I earned my CPA certificate while working at Peat Marwick (KPMG). Then, after a stint in banking, I started working in distribution as VP of Finance. I was appointed President of Royal Papers in 1985 and subsequently acquired Royal in 1988. Being an entrepreneur, I have worked in every aspect of the business while growing it dramatically over the past 35 years. Today I remain active running the day-to-day operations and managing my direct accounts. I am involved in our vendor relationships as well as interacting with all our customers. I continually plan for the near and long-term growth of Royal. Having a family succession plan assures Royal will remain a strong independent family distributor for the long term. Taking care of my employees is my primary job. I know if they are happy, they will make our customers and vendors happy.