I was born in Oakland, California, and graduated high school in Fremont one year ahead of my peers. I graduated one week after my twenty first birthday with a Bachelor of Science from California State University in the newly created discipline of Occupational Health Science, a combination of engineering sciences and medicine. After a brief time employed as an engineering representative for Aetna in their San Francisco and Buffalo offices, I received my Masters of Science in Occupational Health Science from the City University of New York under the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) fellowship program.

After graduation, I worked with a Washington DC consulting firm and was their site manager of Occupational Safety and Health at Love Canal, New York (the nation’s most notorious hazardous waste site at that time). I then worked as the employee Safety and Health coordinator at Fairchild Semiconductor, San Jose, then as the Manager of Occupational Safety and Health at GTE Sprint, Burlingame.

During my professional employment, I obtained the following board certifications: The American Board of Safety Professionals and the American Board of Industrial Hygienists.

However, my first love was building, and with the blessings of my wife, at twenty eight years of age, I pursued renovating buildings in Stockton. I was granted a General Building contractor license in 1994 by the state of California. I later developed a way to build steel frame homes, founded the M C Belden company and developed the steel frame home components EZ stud and EZ joist.

Although none of my business ventures made me rich or famous, I am happy to have been able to pursue my dreams. I ran for Supervisor in Calaveras County (1992), attended the San Francisco Police Academy (1989). I am presently renovating the historic Inspiration Lodge on Highway 88 in Amador County.

My wife Christine and I live in the small community of Railroad Flat, Calaveras County in the home I designed and built in 1991. I have been married for thirty-six years and our children consist of one large macaw named Rudy, two equally large Great Pyrenees Mountain Dogs, Oscar and Lola, and numerous felines, many unwelcome raccoons and an occasional mountain lion