Jeffrey was born and raised in Iowa, though he's called Venezuela, Chicago, Costa Rica, and Denver, where he currently resides with his family, home. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theology/International Studies and a Master of Arts in English. His first professional job after college was teaching bilingual third-graders in Illinois. Upon moving to Denver in 2001, he continued teaching bilingual primary school as well as conversational English to adults in the community. Upon receiving his graduate degree, he was a full-time instructor in the Department of English at the University of Colorado, Denver. In 2008, Jeffrey moved from the classroom to designing curriculum for adult learners. In this capacity, he has co-written and/or edited nearly a dozen curricula (in English & Spanish) and has trained countless mental health professionals, community educators, ministers, social workers and professors in the curricula he helped develop. He has written and spoken on topics such as healthy romantic partner relationships, fatherhood and parenting, and male incarceration. Jeffrey's passions include his family, travel, reading and writing, food and drink, music-especially bop-era jazz, and soccer. He lives with his wife Marisol, son, and the family's faithful dog, Scout. He has traveled to six of the world's seven continents (Antarctica, you're next) and is willing to eat or drink any dish or beverage once, which has led to many wonderful meals-and a few good stories. Jeffrey enjoys reading and writing poetry and fiction, and counts both adults and children as his audiences. He still believes the world is only ever one day away from being more just, verdant, and peaceful.