About Jason

Can we make the world a better place? Can we ensure a future of flourishing for everyone?

These are the questions that have driven my life. At the age of 16 I led county wide food drives in my poor Appalachian hometown. When I was in my early 20’s I lived in Russia and worked in poor rural orphanages. Then I became a pastor and served two churches for over 20 years. During that time I also worked as a community organizer in Milwaukee, WI where I joined under-resourced communities in the fight for their future. I’ve founded and led two non-profits: one that focused on proving housing in low income neighborhoods and the other that provided aftercare housing for underage victims of human trafficking.

I’m a graduate of Campbell University, hold a Master’s in Intercultural Studies, and a Doctorate in Leadership from Duke University. I also studied in the NC State MBA program for a bit where I was a McLaughlan Leadership Fellow.

I’m married to Andrea, we live in Durham, NC and together we have 7 kids! Wow! That’s a lot. I love to ride motorcycles and go skydiving when I can. I’ve also backpacked through many National Parks including Yellowstone, Glacier, The Grand Tetons, Rocky Mountain St. Park, and the beloved Smokey Mountains. And – Andrea and I are currently working on a Sci-Fi novel – it’s so fun!

I’m the author of two books: Dangerous Presence & The Village Mindset. I’m also the co-founder of Trailside Games (a backpacking themed board game company) and SupperTime (in-home dining experiences).

Now, in a strange plot twist of my life I’m a Durham Police Officer. People ask me why I became a Police Officer and I can’t give them an answer. It’s simply what I felt I should do. Every day I go out and respond to people in crisis – those who are having the worst day of their life, who have lost control, and sometimes are willing to hurt other people. And here I am – in the middle of it all. I love it. But being a police officer is different than I thought – it’s much more about the day-to-day helping those in crisis but it can be stressful! But I have immense power in my daily job. I literally have the power to take away people’s freedom but also the power to ensure their safety. How do we balance such a responsibility? This is what power is all about.

Here’s what I’m learning:

That that world is hurting much worse than any of us would like to imagine.
Power is everywhere and it is often misbalanced.
Leadership matters.

Throughout my career I’ve been a public speaker. I’ve spoken to crowds of 10s to crowds of 1000s. I love the energy of a crowd and helping the crowd to realize something about the world they didn’t when they walked in. I’m high energy and inspirational and always want people to leave different than they came. So in my spare time I am a public speaker who wants to help leaders find their power. Not power to make more profit, or power to gain more accolades – but power to help others. Because that’s the greatest power in the world – to elevate and equip others so that people can flourish.

Our world is full of challenges and those challenges will only heighten as the stress of politics, climate change, and social unrest grow. So the leaders that focus on the well-being of those they are responsible for will rise and gain more power – those leaders who embrace their role as a servant instead of a ruler will be given the trust and love of those they serve.

If you are looking for a speaker for your next event or just want to chat I’d love to connect with you. I focus on: Servant Leadership, Social Power, & Emotional Intelligence:

The Balance of Power: Leadership for What’s Next
Servant Leadership: The Hero’s Journey
Emotionally Intelligence for Public Leaders, Police Officers, and Business Executives

Can we make the world a better place? Yes, we can! But it’s gonna take a lot of work! But we have to start somewhere so let’s start here. This is the adventure of a lifetime!