I love my country. As a child, I read a lot of history and learned clearly that America’s experiment with freedom was unique in human history. Then I heard this unique politician say loud and clear, “Government is not the solution. Government is the problem.” I was hooked and ran for Ronald Reagan when I was in high school. I later managed Reagan’s successful presidential campaign while at Notre Dame and eventually worked in the White House under Reagan. By age 25, I had worked in all three branches of the federal government in addition to my military service. I thought I could have a career in government or politics, but the kids I was talking about got in the way and I had a large family to support.

So after law school, I went into labor law and was hired by one of my clients, Caterpillar Inc. At Cat, I served as chief labor negotiator, chief human resources officer, chief innovation officer, and then as president of Caterpillar Remanufacturing and Caterpillar Logistics, two of the company’s largest and most profitable divisions. In my last role, I ran Caterpillar’s Global Parts business, a $10 billion business with approximately 10,000 employees in 18 states and 18 different countries, setting records for profitability, safety, quality, and inventory management. As chief human resources officer, I led the corporate resistance to Obamacare and quietly eliminated abortion coverage—an accomplishment I’m quite proud of, as there are countless people who wouldn’t be here today without that change.