Renovator in Frederick, Maryland

I graduated with an electrical engineering degree in 1986 and worked as an engineer for two years. Around the same time I was laid off from procuring electrical equipment for the DDG51 U.S. Naval Destroyer fleet out of offices in Manhattan, I bought a house that needed a major renovation. In 1986 I started out making countertops for a kitchen renovation in my own house. That then branched off into building and installing countertops for customers in a strt-up renovation business. In 1995 I started getting work from a window and door dealer, at which time I bought a van and ladders. Although I made good money installing windows and doors over the next 10 years I never made it big, mainly due to my inability to hire workers with the same balance of skills and conscience to deliver the perfectly set window. I truly had an obsession with keeping my customers warm in the winter. In 1998 until 2007 I became very obsessed with dancing, the same impetus that drove me to provide the best for customers. I was carpenter by day, competitive swing dancer by night. I obsessively attended classes from the best instructors on the island of Manhattan. In 2006 I decided to find a more structured career path that would lend itself well to retirement savings and health benefits. I started out at the Patent and Trademark Office examining patents from February 2007 to February 2009. From there I tried working as an electrical engineer for the Army and Air Force, one year each, but was not comfortable with contributing to the Military-Industrial Complex. I saw a lot of seemingly patriot entrepreneurs getting wealthy on anything within a few degrees of separation from the battlefield, but without ever taking into account the psychological damage being done to our veterans who, I believe, are not wired to others. In a paradigm shift to being true to my conscience I decided to enroll in graduate studies in the Rehabilitation Science and Technology department at the University of Pittsburgh. Time spent in the Rehab Science program culminated in the design and fabrication of a manual wheelchair for children, a project funded by the federal government. The recipient was a 10 year old girl in Mexico with Spina Bifida. This design we hoped would translate into a better wheelchair for veterans due to its key features of affordability and sturdy design. The design and fabrication took place in a Veterans Administration fabrication facility in Pittsburgh, PA, a facility that helps support researchers in the Rehab Science department. As I was finishing up the master’s degree in rehab science I starting taking disability rights related law classes at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Law. First I used them as elective credits and then seguing into enrolling into the University’s Master's in Law program to compliment the rehabilitation science degree. In December 2014 I completed my Rehab Science degree and in the May of 2015 I was a few credits shy of a master’s in law degree. The problem was that I wanted to practice law and not just study policy. Prior to completing the master’s in law program I decided to attend law school to become a lawyer. I was accepted into Vermont Law School in the fall of 2015 and just completed my first year of studies. I am in the Washington metro area for the summer working full time as a legal intern with the Environmental Protection Agency earning credits towards a dual degree at the Law School. Many of the alumni of Vermont Law School are on the front lines fighting toe to toe working for non-profit organizations that stand up for our rights for clean air and water. The dual degree I am enrolled in requires a summer internship. I chose to move to the DC Metro area for the summer to work as a legal intern in the EPA headquarters with the Atmospheric Division helping to develop the next in what has been a long series of amendments to the Clean Air Act that encourage corporations in the refrigeration industry to evolve away from using refrigerants that hurt our atmosphere. The EPA, through regulations, has successfully gotten industry away from using ozone depleting substances, and now working to change the formulas away from those alternative refrigerants that trap heat in our atmosphere. I envision one day combining my expertise in disability rights with environmental policy and law to lead the fight for an environmentally hospitable planet. While here in the DC metro area I am available to take on a few small to medium size renovation projects where you can leverage years of accrued skills to help beautify your home. Let’s talk about you next project. Joe’s Cell 646-354-... Email: [email protected]