Ashley and I began our careers in law enforcement on opposite sides of South Carolina in May 2001- me with the Mount Pleasant Police Department and her with the Rock Hill Police Department.

Fate brought us together when we both entered the same nine-week class at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.

We started as strangers, became acquaintances, and returned to our respective agencies not knowing how intertwined our lives would soon become.

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After the Academy, I pursued Ashley across the miles, and in 2002 I moved to Rock Hill, SC to join the York County Sheriff’s Office.

A year later, in March 2003, we were married.

Our careers took different, yet equally meaningful, paths.

I transitioned from full-time law enforcement into the business world in 2004, while remaining a reserve officer until 2007.

Today, I’ve built more than 21 years in a successful business career, though I’ve never strayed far from my first responder roots.

Ashley continued in law enforcement for over a decade, serving in multiple roles until back surgeries forced her early retirement. Even then, her commitment never wavered - she returned in civilian capacities as a recruiter, an executive assistant to the Chief, and now as an Evidence Specialist.

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In 2024, I finally returned to the first responder world as a volunteer with the Chester Fire Department, blending my law enforcement background with my technical expertise in lithium technology to assist with investigations and training.

But alongside these professional milestones came personal struggles.

Like so many first responders, Ashley and I faced challenges with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.

Around my 40th birthday, my struggles became overwhelming, affecting my quality of life and sleep. Having been raised to believe that counseling wasn’t effective, I resisted seeking help.

Ashley’s persistence changed that.

With her encouragement, I finally sat down with a counselor.

It didn’t change everything overnight, but it changed enough to make me a believer.

It gave me back my life.

Now, at 47, I see the undeniable value of mental health resources, especially for first responders.

While progress has been made in the first responder community, too many still remain silent about their struggles.

Critical Incident Stress Debriefings are important, but they do not address the daily traumas we often see in the course of "normal" calls for service, calls like suicides, horrific accidents, domestic violence, stabbings, shootings, deaths, and countless other calls-that slowly erode one's resilience.

In the search for wanting to learn more about what really can help at the ground level I found the topic of peer support kept coming up in peer reviewed journal articles.  That realization led me to the Lexipol Cordico Peer Support Specialist training, where I learned how peer support can bridge the gap.

It provides an outlet not just after major crises, but for the ongoing weight first responders carry every day.

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Ashley and I knew we needed to do more.

Together, we decided to establish a non-profit dedicated to bringing peer support to our community and beyond.

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In November 2024, the Old South Engine Foundation, Inc. was officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Through it, we are committed to advocating for first responder mental health, breaking down the stigma of seeking help, and building a culture of resilience and support.

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This is more than our story—it’s our mission.