My Biography

Executive Summary

I spent over 40 years of my Career building multidisciplinary experience; Management, Operations, Logistics, IT, Telecom, and Sales and Marketing, with start-ups, small, and large businesses. Experience partnering with local and non-profit organizations to assist business owners and individual consumers in a culturally appropriate and personal manner. Industry experience in Insurance, primarily Health Insurance, Data Analytics, Financial Products, IT, Telecom, VOIP, Networking, Website Design, Energy, Restaurant, Retail, and various Manufacturing Sectors. Today, I am no longer Working or Consulting, due to health issues.

Alternatively, you can say… I’ve been around more than any can imagine! My dual, triple, etc. life. If I could learn my real family history, it would blow my mind, considering what I already know is mind blowing! Gypsies, psychics, businesses all over the World, Europe, India, Brazil, and God knows where else, just the last 5 generations. In fact, psychics, many, and my great-grandmother was a well known psychic in Portugal and beyond. My great grandmother was so talented she was able to keep herself alive until my father returned from military service and she got to spend the day with him. When he returned, they walked the family farm, and she laid down under a tree to get some rest while he tended to a few things. When he returned, she had passed away. She just wanted to see him before she passed away and was able to make it happen, keep herself alive until she could see him in person.

Anyway, it’s time for me to “exit” stage right… When you know, you know… It’s not a bad thing, it’s part of the Life Experience that is not planned to last forever… I just work here…. Militarily, I’ve been Enlisted, an Officer, and who knows what else… Now, I am history… The future belongs to a “new” generation, a “new” Humanity, Others, etc…

Professional Experience

Costco Wholesale, Venice, FL (April 2024) and Waterbury, CT 

Member Service, October 2022 – August 2024

Educate and assist Costco members through a variety of positions, mainly in Majors, the electronics department, Computers, Televisions, Home Alarms, Appliances, Jewelry, and other miscellaneous electronic products. Certified to operate the gas station.

Wireless Advocates, Waterbury, CT 

Wireless Sales Expert, April 2022 – October 2022

Educate and assist Costco members with wireless cell phone telecommunications options and their member benefits from all three major carriers, ATT, Verizon, and T-Mobile, with Apple and Samsung products.

Nestron House Product Representative, USA 

Independent Contractor, February 2022 – May 2022

Prefabricated Tiny Home Solutions. Home pre-fabricated in factories in China and Singapore to meet locally regulations where the homes are meant to be placed, anywhere in the world.

Retail Power Group, Irving, TX

Commercial Account Executive, September 2021 – October 2021

Educate business owners on methods for addressing their electric costs within their business and methods for managing electrical costs over multiple years throughout the State of Texas.

Comcast Communications, Inc., Farmers Branch, TX

Multi Tenant Sales Representative, July 2021 – September 2021

Increase the corporate brand market presence within the leasing offices at multi tenant housing complexes with over 50 apartments to market and sell Internet, cable video, telephone, and mobile phone services.   

Consultant, Speaker, and Author, Dallas, TX 

September 2019 – March 2020

Advise on PPACA, Obamacare, from a multilingual and multicultural community-based experience and how the health insurance marketplaces and health care system are impacted. Assisted 1,000s of consumers, business owners, consumer advocates, and advocacy groups on navigating the health insurance delivery system, and marketplaces.

Published a book, titled: My Two Cents: Taking the Care Out of Health Care on November 25, 2019. The new book is an insider’s view on health care reform, based on personal and significant experience with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), aka Obamacare. Proposed, within the book, a theory for designing a model for the health care system, any complex system.  The model proposed utilizes Quantum Computing with Artificial Intelligence Management.

Cigna, Plano, TX

Informatics Senior Specialist, July 2017 – September 2019

Data Analytics analysis converting large volumes of data into meaningful conclusions that help clients make informed data driven decisions; and identify opportunities to enhance analytic tools and develop new forecasting tools for better understand medical cost drivers for approximately 40 clients, with 1,000 to 15,000 members.

Health Educated, Inc., Farmington, CT

CEO & President, July 2014 – July 2017

Technology-based start-up Health Insurance Agency, and CT Benefit Corporation, operated on a Workforce Development model, specializing on multilingual and multicultural community-based agents. Raised start-up capital, recruited, trained, licensed, certified, and deployed 17 licensed agents, within 90 days, achieving a 67% licensing success rate.

Ion Insurance, Naugatuck, CT

Account Executive, February 2013 – August 2014

Maintain, grow and enhance relationships with existing bank client base and hire and manage Account Manager, for the Life and Health Insurance Department, specializing on Individuals and Businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

City of Waterbury – Waterbury Public Schools, Waterbury, CT

ARRA Project Manager, November 2009 – September 2011

Responsible for financial oversight, including compliance and quarterly reporting to State and Federal Agencies, while overseeing grant purchases and managing the relationship between union and non-union school system departments; and oversee the newly established ARRA Department managing over $13 million of Federal grant funds for the Waterbury Public School System awarded through the Title I and IDEA Grant Programs.

United Healthcare, Inc., Hartford, CT

Key Account – Account Executive, January 2008 – November 2009

Increase the corporate brand market presence and improve relationships within the brokerage community for United Healthcare’s product lines for Commercial Accounts and Connecticut Public Sector entities with 100 to 3,000 members, advise on new product designs and new product development, and build and nurture relationships between internal and external matrix partners focusing on meeting the needs of new and existing clients.  

Other Experience

APP Financial Services, LLC, Troy, NY and Waterbury, CT, 2002 – 2008 and 2010 – 2014

  • President, Owner and Operator of an All Lines Insurance Agency, Property & Casualty, Life & Health, and Investments
  • APP Financial Services, LLC, was reactivated, and became Health Educated, Inc. in July 2014

Northwestern Mutual, Albany District Office, Albany, NY, 2001 – 2002

  • Insurance and Financial Services Agent

APP Consulting, Troy, NY, 2000 – 2001

  • Consultant, Projects; Home Audio Network Product Marketing Operations, Paper Mill Upgrade, Online HR Recruiting

Business Network Resources, Inc., Troy, NY, 1998 – 2000

  • President and CEO, Internet Service Provider Startup, Website Design, Cloud-based Web Hosting and Dial-up Internet Service

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Internships, Troy, NY, 1996 – 1998

  • State of New York, Attorney General’s Office, Spring 1999, State of NY v. Automakers Vehicle Emissions Case
  • Proctor & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH, Summer 1998, Dental Product Packaging
  • Resident Assistant and Resident Associate, 1996 – 1997 School Year, Manage Residence Halls
  • Laboratory Assistant, 1995 – 1996, Membrain Filter Technology and Bacteria for Yogurt Production

Uniroyal Chemical Company, Naugatuck, CT, 1993 – 1995

  • Laboratory Assistant, Research and Development, Maintain and Operate an EPDM Reactor, and Batch Reactors

Discas, Inc., Waterbury, CT, 1990 – 1993

  • Production & Materials Manager, Oversee Contract Manufacturing, Purchasing, Shipping, Receiving, R&D Facility Maintenance

T. Sendzimir Engineering, Inc., Waterbury, CT, 1988 – 1990

  • Drafting Intern and Assistant, Rolling Mill Engineering Design Firm

McDonald’s, Trefz Corporation, Inc., Waterbury, CT, 1985 – 1988

  • Employee, 1985 – 1987, Assistant Manager, 1987 – 1988

Public Service

  • 75th District, Democrat Town Committee, City of Waterbury (CT), May 2007 – May 2015
  • Board of Alderman, City of Waterbury (CT), July 2009 – December 2009
  • Board of Education Commissioner, City of Waterbury (CT), November 2007 – July 2009
  • Retirement Board Commissioner, City of Waterbury (CT), July 2006 – November 2007

Education

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY

  • Master of Business Administration, 1999
  • Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, 1998

Waterbury State Technical College, Waterbury, CT

  • Associate of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology, 1990

Military Service

  • Commissioned Officer – United States Army National Guard & Army Reserve, May 1998 – March 2002
  • Enlisted Soldier – United States Army National Guard & Army Reserve, April 1987 – May 1998
  • 2 Achievement Medals; 1989 Company Soldier of the Year and 1998 Division S-2, Assistant S-3, Warfighter Award
  • Multiple Letters of Commendation
  • Honorable Discharge

Volunteer Experience

  • Access Health CT – SHOP Advisory Committee Member, March 2012 – August 2016
  • Connecticut Community Foundation (Waterbury), May 2008 – May 2015, Trustee (2012-2015), Governance Committee Member (2013-2015), Vice Chair (2015), Non-Profit Excellence Committee Member (2008-2015), Co-Chair (2013-2015)
  • Small Business for a Healthy Connecticut, Board Member, June 2011 – August 2016
  • United Way of Greater Waterbury, Voting Member, April 2008 – May 2015
  • American Red Cross, June 2007 – June 2011, Board Member (2007 – 2011), CT Chapter Gala Co-Chair (2010), Waterbury Chapter Gala Chair (2009) and Co-Chair (2008)
  • Catholic Charities of Greater Waterbury (CT), Advisory Committee Member, June 2013 – May 2015
  • Portuguese Foundation, Inc., (Hartford, CT) Board Member, May 2011 – November 2012
  • Portuguese Sport Club, Inc. of Waterbury, CT, January 2004 – December 2010, President (2010), Financial Oversight Committee (2008), Scholarship Committee (2004-2007)
  • Greater Waterbury (CT) Chamber of Commerce, January 2003 – December 2006, Leads Group II Chair (2003-2005), Member of Small Business, Manufacturers and Health Care Councils
  • Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Lambda Alpha Epsilon, Fall 1995 – Fall 2004, SAE Fraternity and LAE House Corporation at RPI, served many positions as a Student Volunteer, and as Board Volunteer, including as Board Chair.

Certificates and Licenses

  • Gas Station Class C Operator Certification, 2022 to Present
  • State of Connecticut Producer: Life & Health, Property & Casualty (Inactive 2018)
  • State of Connecticut Certified Insurance Consultant: Life & Health, Property & Casualty (Inactive 2018)
  • Previously held Investment Series 6, 7, 63, 65 and RIA Licenses and Designations (Inactive 2006)

Projects

  • My Two Cents: Taking the Care Out of Health Care, 11/2019
  • ImprovingHealthInsurance.com Educational Website, 9/2017
  • Health Educated Paperback and Mobile Magazine (English and Spanish Editions), 1/2016
  • PPACA Handbooks and Booklets for Consumers and Small Businesses, 3/2014
  • Obamacare411 Handbooks and Booklets for Consumers and Small Businesses, 1/2014
  • Obamacare411 iPhone Mobile app (retired) with Proprietary Built-In Premium Calculator, 3/2013
  • Obamacare411.info (closed) website with Proprietary Built-In Premium Calculator, 9/2012
  • The Health Insurance Handbook: Understanding and Shopping for Health Insurance, 7/2007