Hello to all!  Its great to be back! Yes, that’s right, for those of you who didn’t know, I have returned to Manatts.  After a few years of practicing law, it seemed time to move on to the place where I have always felt that I needed to be—back here, working with all of you. 

In the wake of John’s retirement, I have stepped in and am trying to fill his shoes.  John, along with his partners, built one of the strongest and most venerable Ready Mix companies in the Midwest.  I am excited about the challenges and opportunities of continuing that tradition.  In addition to serving as Division Manager for Ready Mix, I am also acting as General Counsel (in house lawyer) for the company.  So, for those of you who have lawyer jokes that you didn’t get a chance to tell me while I was in the private practice of law, you still have the chance to give me your best (or worse) groaners.

By way of introduction, for anyone who has wondered what I was up to all those years I was in school, I received my undergraduate degree from Iowa State University and my law degree from the University of Iowa.  After passing the Bar, I practiced law with the firm of Whitfield & Eddy, P.L.C. in its West Des Moines office, focusing on the area of Construction Law.  Construction Law is comprised of contract issues, such as drafting, reviewing and interpreting contracts, lien work and collections, as well as some labor/employment issues.  Basically, its keeping contractors out of trouble and getting them paid for their hard work!  Hopefully, all of the things that I learned not to do will be beneficial and help keep us from making those mistakes ourselves. 

I am recently married, on 2-4-06, and my wife, Jamin, and I are currently looking for a home in the Brooklyn area.

It has always been my dream to return to Manatts, and it feels like I am home again.  I believe that Manatts is an industry stalwart, one of the most vital construction companies anywhere, and one of the preeminent companies in Iowa, period.  The reason for that, and what makes this company so special, is you—the people who make this company run.  I look forward to working with all of you to keep Manatts growing!