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PERSONAL INFO
My family has had a year round presence on Chappy since the 1890's. Our original family home still stands on North Neck road by the golf course. I attended the Edgartown School and the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School. In 1977, I joined the U.S. Army and left the island. I was trained in fixed station technical communications in the Army and followed up with training as an electronics technician at the Austin Technical Institute.
Upon returning to the island I worked at Vineyard Electronics for a number of years until 1988, when I formed a software development company named BobCoPro, Inc. I developed numerous software programs culminating with a project called Printrac Systems, which was sold to the U.S. Department of Defense. We operated for a number of years out of a location on Main Street in Edgartown, but eventually moved to a location at the Martha's Vineyard airport to meet our growing space needs. I then created The Computer Lab which was focused on PC based sales and service. During this time I continued pursuing my passion for building commissioned furniture out of my home workshop. I had trained for years under my uncle, Bob Marshall, who was a master craftsman. I also have been an avid motorcyclist most of my life. I have owned, ridden, and tinkered with numerous motorcycles. In 2002, while working on my bike, I wanted to make a change to my bikes exhaust system. At this point in time the only option was to throw away the perfectly good looking stock system and buy an aftermarket exhaust. This was a tremendous waste of money and natural resources. With the help of my brother (a gifted machinist and welder), we designed a method to modify and remanufacture the stock exhaust systems for most current Honda motorcycles. The business VTXexhaust.com was formed and had immediate success. Today we have many imitators, but this company still controls the lion's share of the remanufacturing business for motorcycle exhausts. In 2006, I sold out my interest in this operation to my brother, and I sold The Computer Lab, so I could focus my attention on my passion of working with wood. This also gave me the opportunity to expand my volunteer work. I build commissioned pieces of furniture in my woodshop, mostly out of South American hardwoods that I purchase from companies that use sustainable techniques in their harvesting. I belong to a number of professional groups including the American Association of Woodturners and the Furniture Society. I enjoy participating in several motorcycle groups including the American Motorcycle Association, the Red Knights Motorcycle Club (MV chapter 7), and the BMW Owners Group of North America. Volunteer work has been an important part of my adult life. I have been an Edgartown firefighter for 22 years. For eight of those years I was also an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) serving for both Edgartown and Vineyard Haven. I was an active member of the Edgartown Volunteer Ambulance Association (EVAA) finally becoming the group's president for the last several years of its operation. It became clear that state requirements made it too difficult for volunteers to stay both certified as EMTs and operate an ambulance service. I was extensively involved with transferring the ambulance service over to Edgartown's Fire Department. I have been involved with various charities over the years including the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Vineyard House, and the Friends of the Edgartown Library. I have also worked with numerous island charities and schools rebuilding computers, to get them into the homes of school children who could not otherwise afford them. My home is located on Chappaquiddick and as I stated earlier, I have lived in this same house for over 35 years. My wife, Felicia Cheney, is the director of the Edgartown Public Library. My youngest son Gavin is 10 years old and attends the Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School and my oldest, Colin, is a senior at the Regional High School. Our property is fiercely guarded by our Dachshund "Oscar." |
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