Jerry moved to Lake City in 1976, became an EMT and started volunteering with the ambulance team and Search And Rescue (SAR) in 1979.  

He raised four sons here and all four became EMTs and served on both the EMS team and the SAR team. Jerry began serving as EMS Director in 1989, received his EMT-Intermediate certification in 1991, and Paramedic certification in 1994.  

Jerry began serving as Hinsdale County Emergency Manager in 1994 and Deputy Coroner in 1998. He inherited the Coroner position in 2001 when the Coroner died. He was appointed to complete his term and has been elected since then.  

Jerry retired from the EMS Director/Emergency Manager position at the end of 2018 after 40 years of volunteering and 1,000 EMS/SAR calls. He is finishing out his final term as Coroner this year.