Steve moved with his family to Cowlitz County in 1969.  He graduated from Kelso High School in 1983 and went on to receive Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Business Administration from Westminster College of Salt Lake City, Utah. After receiving his law degree from Seattle University in 1994, Steve worked primarily in the land use, real estate and construction industries before coming back to Cowlitz County as CWLA’s Legal Director.
Steve is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys boating, fishing and running his team of sled dogs.  Steve is a 3-time veteran of the 1100-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska. He has been married to his wife Janet for 33 years and his daughter Erin attends classes at Lower Columbia College.