Interviewed by Liz Gordon-Hancock
Steve graduated from Bluffton High School in 2003. He married Elizabeth Knick (from Bath) and has a son and two daughters.
Did you go to college, and, if so, what was your degree?
I went to University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) and earned my Bachelors in Business Administration and Marketing, and started my master's in 2012 for Arts and Organizational Behavior. (That's a fancy way of saying how to create corporate culture.)
What are you up to now? And where are you based? I am a project manager for the leading waterproofing company in town; a family man; and I volunteer with one of the area's Cub Scout packs as an assistant den leader. We lived in Colorado for seven years, and now live in the Lima area.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy helping people solve their moisture and foundation problems with industry-changing methods for good, not for the next time it rains! I enjoy the fact that I help people once, and they never need my help again.
Back in school, what were you involved in? What was your favorite cafeteria meal? The best meal in the cafeteria was enchiladas; perhaps not on the same day as a track meet, but a great culinary triumph none-the-less. I was also a part of the academic team, show choir, choir, and track team.
Any favorite teacher stories?
None that I can share. But there was the time I dressed up in my Indian regalia for Spirit Week - that was a Scout thing. I was in the Order of the Arrow (it's like an honor society for Scouts). I was a grass dancer which is a type of Native American dance. I was on the local Scouts dance team... I actually went to a couple pow wows and competed nationally. So, I dressed up as an Indian for Spirit Week one year. I had cow bells tied to my ankles, so I got plenty of attention that day.
What did you want to be growing up?
Aeronautical engineer, Soldier, or entrepreneur. One down, two to go!
What was your first-ever job?
I was paid to teach Scoutcraft to first year Boy Scouts at summer camp, with all the .22 ammo I could shoot! Then like an idiot I tried my hand at life insurance.
You're very involved with Boy Scouts, both as a kid and adult. Why is it so important to you?
It's an organization that forces you to do things you ordinarily wouldn't do, and when you're a kid that doesn't have a lot of money or opportunities presented to you, Scouts will provide that for you. That's why it was good for me. It gives structure to things I already liked to do. I was already going to camp and doing things outside; I was already a survivalist and interested in all of those things, but Scouts provided a structure to those to take that to the max.
I understand your son is in Cub Scouts. Did he have any choice in the matter?
As soon as I started Scouts, I knew I was going to be an Eagle. (That's the highest rank you can be.) I started in first grade, and that was always the plan. That was how you got to be the best at being outside, and I wanted to be the best.
When my son came along, the question was "I wanted it, but did he want it?" I had to decide: "If he wants to be a Scout, then I'll make sure he has the absolute best experience. If he doesn't want to be a Scout, I'll make sure he has the best skills anyway, so he doesn't have to rely on others for his well-being."
For a man, that's important - to have that answer in your mind: "Yes, if things fall apart, I will be enough. I will have enough. I will make it." That was the real reason I joined Scouts. The whole experience was a giant test.
So I want my son to have those skills and abilities, that he will know that he will not just survive, but thrive when the chips are down. So I was thrilled when my son came to me and said "I want join Scouts." And I'll let him go as far as he wants.
What do you do for fun?
Power-lifting, biking, reading, and other various fancies.
Star Trek or Star Wars?
Yes!
If you could talk to your younger self, what would you say?
Forget being well rounded, go for broke in what will be the most beneficial thing.
If you could step into any book or movie and assume the role of one of those characters, who would you be and why? Jack Ryan, based solely on volume of novels read.
What's your favorite card or board game? Legacy. My son and I made up the game combining Payday, Life, and Monopoly. Technically we have only played once, but it has been ongoing for about 7 months now and can be tense at times.
What do you like about the world? That it was created.
