Tony was born and raised in Longmont, Colorado. He served 20 years in the US Coast Guard including 10 years at sea, five of those in command. He sailed throughout the Pacific and called on numerous ports including Tokyo, Barrow, Attu, Astoria, and Kodiak. He still laments the loss of most of his hair while sailing the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea. He learned how to drive ships on World War II vintage cutters while navigating with rudimentary tools. While in command of the modern Coast Guard Cutter SPAR, he often turned off all the fancy computer controls and taught junior officers how to use their brains and intuition instead of relying on technology. He also spent time ashore chasing hurricanes, climbing 1,200 foot tall towers, and keeping a small industrial city running. Following his retirement at the rank of Commander, he spent two years in local government as a County Public Works Director in California trying to manage potholes, water treatment systems, an airport, and a landfill. When small town politics finally caught up with him, he transitioned to Tesla and spent four crazy years in numerous roles including being put in charge of two million square feet of warehouses, oversight of a $250 million dollar merchandise and vehicle accessories business, and ultimately leadership of Tesla’s $1.5 billion dollar used car business. Eventually, to lower the risk of a heart attack or divorce, he left Tesla and relocated with his wife Dawn to Edmond, Oklahoma to be near grandchildren.