Career

In real life I am the president/ceo of Wesley Day Advertising, a full-service marketing communications agency founded in 1949. I joined the agency in 1984 as an account executive, was elected vice-president in 1985, and was elected president in 1986. Today the agency has a dozen professionals and serves a range of clients in the ag, business-to-business, and consumer markets.

I am also involved with the Advertising Professionals of Des Moines, the local chapter of the American Advertising Federation. I am a past-president of the organization, am a Silver Medal Award winner (something of a "lifetime achievement" award, more appropriate for a true ad geezer than someone like myself), and have been instrumental in the the organization's scholarship program.

Personal

I grew up in Winterset, IA (hometown of John Wayne and "Bridges of Madison County") ... am a huge Cyclone fan ... live in Ankeny ... have two kids (same birthday, three years apart) ... am on the Council Executive Board with the Boy Scouts (I have my own uniform in which, surprisingly, I look fabulous!) ... am a certified scuba diver ... have crashed (totaled) an airplane ... once threw a 5th degree black belt in judo ... have a stuffed armadillo in my office, a mountain lion in my family room, and a baboon in my den ... once held the 9th grade pole vault record in Indianola ... hold an Extra Class Ham Radio license (AA0TI)... have the coolest Christmas display in Central Iowa (www.sandersonfamilychristmas.com) and can juggle two tennis balls and a peach and eat the peach while juggling.

I have yet to be abducted by aliens ... mistaken for Brad Pitt ... set on fire by angry students ... or been invited to open for Slipknot with a lovely pan flute medley.