Steve founded the Pacific Auction Company in 2003 and serves as company president. He formerly spent 15 years as a professional non-profit fundraiser, and the combination of being both an auctioneer and a fundraiser makes him a powerful force in encouraging people to spend generously at fundraising events. He personally generates millions of dollars for charitable organizations annually, and has been recognized by industry groups for his outstanding work. Steve became an auctioneer the old fashioned way, by studying auctioneers. He has a reverence for country cattle callers and their high-speed auction patter, yet appreciates the sophistication of auctioneers at the world’s finest auction houses such as Christie’s & Sotheby’s. His style is a bit flashy, and a true hybrid of old-fashioned country combined with high-brow city flare. Steve’s diverse background reflects his passion for giving and helping others. He served as a beekeeper in the Peace Corps in Paraguay, where he taught impoverished farmers how to produce honey as a secondary income generating activity. Following his years in Paraguay, he subsequently worked in Brazil, Argentina, Chile & Nicaragua, spending a total of seven years working with bees and rural people in Latin America.