Birth date: Nov. 13, 1963.
Birthplace: Chicago. I grew up in Rogers Park and Skokie.
Occupation: Commercial director.
Resume: I directed the LiftMaster Garage Door Openers and On Site Trading commercials that are currently running, and I’ve made three documentaries about animals. One of them, “Unconditional Love,” raised nearly $1 million for a shelter in New York. I try to make a difference with my work.
Current home: Glenview.
Marital status: Married for 14 years to Marguerite.
Children: Nicole Joy, 5.
Working on: I’m shooting a commercial for Newsday and taking acting classes to become a big director.
I stay home to watch: “Total Request Videos” on MTV. It keeps me in touch with cutting-edge music and what young people are looking at.
The book I’ve been reading: I’m constantly rereading my favorite book, “Wind, Sand and Stars” by Antoine De Saint-Exupery.
Favorite meal: Any kind of grilled fish, grilled vegetables, some pasta with virgin olive oil and basil, and for dessert, frozen orange juice–I like it slushy.
Favorite performer: George M. Cohan. I grew up on the great musicals like “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” It still gives me thrills when I see it.
I’d give anything to meet: Mozart, Marc Chagall or Steven Spielberg. They’re all people who think out of the box, true artists in my mind.
The one thing I can’t stand: Selfishness.
If I could do it over: I would have been a lot nicer to my kid brother. We grew up in a single-parent home and I felt like I had a lot of responsibility for him.
Most irrational act: Packing up my belongings in my car when I was 18 and heading out to New York to attend Pratt Institute. I felt I didn’t belong in such a prestigious school, but that set the rest of my life in motion. I met my wife there.
My most humbling experience: Every time I finish a project and wait for the next job to come in, I’m humbled. That keeps me very, very grounded.
The three words that best describe me: Creative, compassionate, considerate.
