My first exposure to chiropractic occurred around age 10 when we went to see the neighborhood chiropractor, Dr. Jay Jerald. I remember him always telling us he was “getting the mice out,” which seemed odd to my brothers, and I and grew curious what he was really doing. During my sophomore year in high school my grandfather returned from Europe on crutches, apparently having been hospitalized for an extended period with “no known cure” for his ailment. Within a week after seeing Dr. Jay, his crutches were in the closet and he was feeling much better. This prompted me to ask Dr. Jay about what he did and how it worked, which led to several discussions. Sensing my interest, he volunteered to write a recommendation letter to his Alma Mater, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) when I was ready to study chiropractic.
I attended Erie Community College and received an Associate in Science Degree (Biology) in 1976; then went on to attend CMCC in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the fall. I graduated as a chiropractor from CMCC in May, 1980 and also received a Service Award for being a photographer on the CMCC Yearbook staff.
My parents moved to Georgetown, TX while I was still at CMCC, which brought me to Central Texas for 2 summers. I decided to practice in Austin but had to attend UT Austin one semester to fulfill the requirements of the Texas Basic Science Equivalency curriculum. I passed my Texas Boards in December and received my license in January, 1981.
I entered private practice in South Austin with Dr. John L. Martin, who at the time was serving on the Board of Directors of the Texas Chiropractic Association (TCA), and who strongly encouraged me to join TCA, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), and become involved in my profession and its future.
I also worked part-time with Dr. Evelyn Bunyard in Lockhart, TX after her husband (also a chiropractor) passed away. Both of them were graduates of Palmer College and had an extensive library of DD and BJ Palmer’s books in their office, where I was able to learn a lot about innate, healing through chiropractic, and patient care.
I was asked to run for District Director of TCA District 8 at my first meeting by Dr. Sid Isdale in 1981, and proceeded to hold all chairs. This route paralleled also in the Travis County Chiropractic Society, and I found myself with dual Presidencies in 1986. I served on the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners State Peer Review Committee and on the TCA Chiropractic Arbitration Committee to help doctors and get paid for the devices they performed form insurance carriers through the 80s
At this time chiropractic practice was beginning to change and TCA started the New Doctor Program, realizing that additional education was needed to help doctors run a business and cope with the changing insurance laws and increasing complexity of running an office. The program ran successfully for about 7 years, and I was fortunate to serve on faculty for several of those.
TCA then co-launched a series of classes with Texas Chiropractic College to be proactive in helping field doctors with the continued changes in the insurance world and to help them fight unsubstantiated claims and nonpayment from carriers. This was led by Dr. Walter Rhodes and became known as the Chiropractic Consultant Series. The seminars ran well into the 1990s and resulted in the formation of the Congress of Chiropractic Consultants of which I served as Secretary and Parliamentarian.
I served on the TCA Board of Directors from 1990 until 1992, and subsequently chaired numerous TCA committees, was President of TCA’s Gavel Club, and as a pinnacle, was asked to replace Dr. Don Handley as Department Coordinator of External Affairs as he moved to ACA Delegate. This was the fist time this position was held without first having been on the TCA Board of Directors or a past president.
I received two governor appointments to represent TCA and our profession; one to the Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission (TWCC) as Alternate Delegate to the Medical Advisory Commission and the other to a TWCC Special Task Force. I also did postgraduate work for several years and earned my Certification as a Chiropractic Sports Physician from the ACA Council of Sports Injuries and Physical Fitness in 1994, and became a Fellow in the International Academy of Clinical Acupuncture in 1996.
In January of 2000, TCA released their Executive Director and I was asked by President Dr. Ken Tomlin to serve as interim Executive Director. It was a tempestuous time with our Annual Convention only months away with very little planning having been started. Thanks to the help from many individuals including Sue Johnston, the wife of one of TCA’s previous EDs, Ford Johnson, we held a successful convention that year only to be topped by the hiring of a new Executive Director in July.
In the years 2001-2004, I held the positions of Secretary, President Elect, and President of the TCA and facilitated the purchase of our office in the Westgate Building at 1122 Colorado St. in Austin. As a nonprofit association, TCA was not allowed to purchase the property directly so a for-profit arm was formed, called TCA Ventures, where I served as Vice-president for the next 7 years. In 2009 I was honored to be inducted into and receive a Fellow from the International College of Chiropractors.
In 2011, I was asked to serve on an AdHoc Financial Advisory Committee by President Jack Albracht, as the Association appeared to be having some financial constraints. The Executive Director was subsequently released, and I was appointed as Department Coordinator of Internal Affairs again to now Oversee the TCA office. Simultaneously I was also appointed Chairman of the Financial Oversight Committee to advise on financial operations. After the Association was running more smoothly, they began what became multiple searches for a long term Executive Director. The results of the first two searches did not fulfill the Board’s expectations and in 2014, I was asked to Chair the third Search Committee.
I have received multiple awards for membership building, three President’s Awards, Board of Directors Award, H. Ford Johnson Award, and now the Keeler Plaque Award.
I have been a member of the ACA and the CMCC Alumni Association since 1981. I have been licensed to practice chiropractic in Colorado with acupuncture privileges since 1987 and have been a member of the Colorado Chiropractic Association since then. Outside of chiropractic, I have been a member of the Manchaca Methodist Church, Austin Police Department Safe Ride program, worked with communities of the Capital Area Council of Boy Scouts of America, served on the staff for the Regional Explorers Bivouac at Fort Hood, and was on the Advisory Board of Q, The Sports Club fitness centers. In 2011, I married Dr. Karen Campion, a chiropractor in College Station, TX , and moved to Bryan, TX.
Many of my achievements would not have been possible if it were not for the help, support, and mentoring from many other chiropractic friends throughout Texas. I thank the committee for the privilege of being inducted into this elite group of doctors, and to be able to join the ranks of my mentors who reside in this prestigious circle.
