I was born in New Orleans and grew up in Louisiana, where I also did my studies in Microbiology, German, and History. I first came to Europe as a student in 1972-1973, first in Germany, then in Vienna, Austria. After receiving my MA in German, I retuned to Austria in 1977 and have been living and working in the Linz area since then.

After 10 years of teaching at a secondary school, I started my career teaching English for Specific Purposes and specializing in E-learning at the University of Linz. My Mphil and PhD are from the University of Salzburg in English, German, and Applied Linguistics. I also have a professional certification in E-learning management.

I have been a teacher trainer, book author, editor, and communications trainer since 1978 and have specialized in working with adults. I started training for the PPL in 2014 and have had my single engine license since 2015. I bought my own plane in 2016 and fly as often as the weather allows.

Since 2016 I have been an LPLE (Language Proficiency Linguistic Expert) and in 2017 qualified as  an LPE (Operational Expert, Language Proficiency Examiner). With these qualifications I have been able to combine my passion for teaching, flying, and helping my fellow pilots and students achieve their language endorsements.