Jeff's life mission is to help vulnerable populations understand, prepare for, and survive natural threats to their life and property. He's no stranger to big weather events. He developed an intense passion for understanding thunderstorms, tornadoes, and winter storms in Missouri at an early age, where several personal experiences put him dangerously close to these incredible forces of nature.  

Upon graduating from the University of Missouri, Jeff continued tracking the extreme weather for eight years as the Morning Meteorologist for the ABC and FOX affiliates in Columbia-Jefferson City. In 2011, he couldn't resist the challenge to head south and take on tracking tropical storms. He accepted a position with the University of Florida as the chief meteorologist of WUFT and developer of WRUF-TV, a 24-hour local news, weather and sports channel where future broadcast meteorologists (students) gained real-world experience.  

In 2013, Jeff built out the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN), a collaborative effort by all public radio stations in the state to keep their audiences informed of hazardous tropical weather. The service continued to expand in 2016, with the addition of two full-time meteorologists serving South Carolina public radio and televisions. 

Under Jeff’s leadership, FPREN was recognized with the rare national Community Lifeline Award by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and he is regularly called upon by NPR and PBS during times of disruptive weather on the regional or national scale.