What is the best advice you ever received?

“The principal I had when I was a kid, used to say ‘work hard and laugh harder.’  That is the advice I tell students, teachers, parents…basically anyone who will listen. Work as hard as you can, but make sure you’re always laughing harder.”

What is your favorite color?

“Blue, I love blue. The teachers made fun of me because I pretty much stick to wearing navy pants, blue shirts, bowties that have blue in them…heck, my car is blue!

What are your daughters’ names?

“My oldest daughter is Mattie Adair, named after my wife’s great-grandmother. Our youngest daughter is Millie Nell, although we just call her Millie. We actually were going to name her Emerson, but about two weeks before my wife was due, she heard the name Millie and wanted that one!”

What is like living in a house full of girls?

Fun, but I’m totally outnumbered. There’s lots of pink. And bows. So many bows. Lots of Lilly Pulitzer. It’s cute and all, but when we get a dog one day, it’s going to have to be a male! I’ve got to have someone on my team!”

 What is your background as an educator?

“My grandfather was a headmaster. He was actually a history teacher and then a headmaster, and I was a history teacher and then a middle school principal. He taught me from an early age to love learning and taught me the value of a good, quality education. I’ve taught in Nashville, Tennessee, and Pensacola, Florida, for several years before moving to Macon. I still love teaching, but I really like helping teachers be better teachers. I’m a really good cheerleader for teachers, and I feel I do a good job at supporting and encouraging them. I’ve had some really bad principals in the past. They micromanage, they load people up with work, and they really don’t care about the fact that teachers, children, and parents are HUMAN. That’s where I’m different. I treat every person with respect, and I try to make sure that every conversation I leave is better than when I arrived.”

How did you meet your wife?

“In college, I worked at the YMCA (in Nashville), and she worked out there.… It was during the summer, and I noticed she came in at 3 p.m. every day, but my shift ended at 2. I asked my boss if  I could change my shift so I could be there when she was there. Totally stalkerish. So I got to know her like, ‘Hey, good afternoon. How are you?’ Things like that. We got friendly with each other, so I got up the courage to ask her on a date to one of Nashville’s many free concerts. She said yes! After the date, I asked her if she wanted to “go steady” (to borrow a term from my grandmother) and she said….no. So, we didn’t talk for a few months (I have my pride!!) but we reconnected over Christmas break and started dating. We dated for two years, and on the day I got my first teaching job, I proposed. We’ve been together for 10 years and been married for six.

How long have you worn glasses?

“Since fifth grade. I started reading Harry Potter and I thought, ‘hmm, glasses would be kinda cool.” And, I just got lucky that my eyesight was terrible! I love glasses, and I like to swap them out every couple of months for a new style.

 Where have you traveled?

“I have been to fifteen different countries in total. I’ve been to Europe several times but my favorite place in the world is Italy. Each time I go, I fall back in love with it again . My wife and I actually flirted with the idea for a while, before we had kids, of actually teaching at an international school in Florence (Italy) I looked at, but they didn’t have any openings.”

What is your favorite TV show?

“The Office! It doesn’t matter if I have seen it two times or 10 times, I laugh like I have never seen it before. I watch one or two episodes almost every morning when I run on the treadmill. It’s such a ridiculous show that I get pulled in to the story and forget about everything else.”

What is your favorite movie?

“I’m not really a movie guy. It requires too much time to sit. I’ll watch a couple of minutes of a movie, but it’s got to be already on TV. I’ll never pull one up just to start watching. If I had to pick one, I’d say either ‘The Patriot’ with Mel Gibson or any of the Harry Potter movies. I am a total Harry Potter nerd, so anytime those are on TV, I’ll stop and watch those. There’s just something magical (see what I did there?) about them.”

If you could have coffee with anyone, who would it be?

“To be sentimental, I’d say my grandfather, the one who was the headmaster. He had dementia for several years and died while I was a freshman in college, so my memories of him are hazy at best. According to several of his friends and family, he was a calm, rational leader who was beloved by everyone who met him. I would love to be able to pick his brain about life, leadership styles, the struggles he faced.”

When did you start wearing bow ties?

“When  I pledged a fraternity in college, part of your requirement was to learn how to tie a bow tie. I had no idea how to tie these things. These things are tricky. I can tie a normal tie all day, but I had never tied a bow tie. So I learned (through YouTube), and I like them because they are snazzy and aren’t traditional. Maybe since I’m not the most traditional guy, I just connect with them.”

Where would you go if you could time travel?

“I’m an old soul. My entire life I’ve had people tell me that I was born in the wrong age. I should have been born in like the 1940s or 1950s. At parties, I was always the kid who wanted to stand around and talk to the adults. Not that I didn’t have any friends, I just always felt the adults were more interesting! But if I had to pick a time period to go to, I’d say Ancient Egypt. I’d just want to see the civilization in all of its glory. And, I’d take Andy Lawson with me so we could tour it together.”

What would you order for your last meal?

“Oh, man. Well, for allergy reasons, I don’t eat dairy or beef. So, I’d say for my last meal I would order the largest steak on the menu and drown it with cheese. Then for dessert, I’d order the most decadent piece of cheesecake and dunk it in butter. I’d be sick as a dog, but what do I care?? It’s my last meal!”

Are you an optimist?

“Yes, 100 percent. I am always happy, always looking up. Not a whole lot gets me down. Even when things are tough, I can always find the good… which is important because in jobs like these, there are always hard days and things can really pull you down sometimes. Early on in life, my parents instilled two things in me that have served me well – grit and perspective. Grit makes me push through the tough times and keep going. Perspective helps me keep things in focus like understanding that I’m lucky to have opportunities like this because so many people aren’t afforded it. I’m lucky to have a loving family, because so many people don’t. I’m lucky to have an incredible group of friends and supporters. So, long story short, yes, I am an optimist, but it’s because I’m intentional about being one.’’