You may not know it, but before enlisting in the Navy Bob had a head of thick blond hair. He also enjoys cheering for the Green Bay Packers, where former Troy University Trojans Larry Mason and Alfred Malone have played.
Bob graduated from Troy University in 2003 with his Master of Science in International Relations. After 26 years of service in the U.S. Navy Bob retired and is currently the co-owner and CEO of
IFLY Va Beach Indoor Skydiving. As the CEO of iFly Va Beach Bob is responsible for establishing and executing strategy to deliver the experience of indoor skydiving as an amusement, indoor recreational activity, and training venue for professional skydivers and military special operators.
His decision to choose Troy University for his education was “due to the accessibility of their distance learning, expertise in International Politics, International Relations, National Security, and worldwide terrorism.” Bob said that “Troy has a great reputation” and his education “has had significant impact in that it demonstrated that I can accomplish significant undertakings and exposed me to a network of energetic people.” “The International Relations graduate program with a National Security concentration has enabled me to contribute at a high level to team efforts both while on active duty in Navy Special Operations, and post military career in a consulting capacity, all of which prepared me to develop the iFLY Va Beach Indoor Skydiving project.”
To Bob, Troy University stands out as “a great university primarily due to quality and accessibility of TROY’s distance learning programs combined with TROY’s brick and mortar presence … making high quality education available to service members at all levels.”
All of TROY’s professors had a profound impact on Bob, “but a few stand out for various reasons. The first graduate course I took was titled National Security Policy. The professor for that course set the bar high which created good study habits necessary to complete the program. Ironically the attacks against the U.S. on September 11th, 2001 occurred during this term, emphasizing the significance of America’s National Security requirements.”
Bob’s advice to students is “to simply get started. With TROY’s accessibility, there are few reasons not to begin a course of study immediately. During my graduate studies I traveled throughout Asia, including Guam, Japan, Thailand, The Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Korea, and a several small islands in the South pacific. With internet access I was able to complete my studies uninterrupted…even made it through a Typhoon where we did not have Power for 38 days so a few assignments were accepted well after the due date (That particular professor said he had never heard the typhoon excuse before).”
Bob’s Trojan Warrior Spirit word is “Strategy”. He said “the importance of the word is quite simple in that in order to accomplish anything of meaning, one must have a clear strategy, and an awareness of when deviations from that strategy occur, which may be necessary.”
Oh, by the way, Bob’s favorite song is “Ave Maria” by just about any artist, and his favorite band is Led Zeppelin.
Troy University Hampton Roads 