After spending three, week long vacations in Ely, I knew this is where we wanted to live, work and raise our family. Sixteen years in the financial services business lead me to finally leave the rat race, mostly because the rats were winning. With my wife Sandy and our three boys, we purchased White Iron Beach Resort in 1995. We continue to run that business, building it into a premier family and fishing vacation resort on White Iron Lake. We also purchased an adjacent canoe outfitting business with a partner in 2002. We ultimately turned that property into a very successful 12 unit common interest community. About that same time I entered the Ely real estate business to property manage the CIC we had developed. Since I had my real estate license anyway and had basically been in sales all my life, I started selling Ely real estate in my spare time. I obtained my real estate brokers license in 2010 and probably knew then that I needed to be on my own and control my destiny in the real estate business. Thus, forming Canoe Capital Realty LLC in 2012. I am a big believer in giving back to the community and have been very involved the the Ely Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Board. I served as president of the Chamber from 2005 to 2011 until my term limit of 6 years was reached. I continue as president of the Tourism Board which handles the promotion of the Ely area funded by a local lodging tax. We love Ely and plan on staying here for the majority of the year for the rest of our lives.