Jeff grew up in Southern Minnesota, having graduated from Owatonna High School. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Communications from Concordia College—Moorhead in 1998. Seeking to further his education, Jeff later earned a Master of Education degree and Minnesota grades 5-12 teaching licensure in Business Education from the University of Minnesota in 2001. Jeff would eventually pursue and obtain his Minnesota K-12 Principal Certificate through the University of Minnesota in 2011.
With six years of experience in the classroom, Jeff has taught at both Mound Westonka and Medford High Schools. Throughout his teaching career, he has taught a diverse range of courses to students in grades 7-12, including Economics, C++ Computer Programming, College Study Skills, Career Exploration, and Personal Finance, with a total of 24 different courses.
Jeff has six years of experience as a business owner. In 2005, he transitioned out of teaching to own and operate a real estate brokerage in the south metro Twin Cities. The call to return to education never fully left him during his tenure as a real estate broker, and in 2011, Jeff would return to the classroom full-time as a secondary classroom teacher at Medford High School.
Jeff joined the Albert Lea Area Schools in 2013 when he was hired as the Secondary Programs Administrator. Jeff was then asked to serve as Albert Lea High School Assistant Principal in 2014 and, in 2017, was awarded the Assistant Principal of the Year for the MASSP Southeast MN Division. In 2020, he was named Associate High School Principal for Albert Lea High School.
In November 2022, Jeff accepted the position of Executive Director of Careers, Technology, and Innovation. In this role, Jeff will work with his colleagues at District 241 and members of the Albert Lea community to enhance the learning experience for students from Pre-Kindergarten to post-graduation.