I am a retired middle school principal living in Metairie, Louisiana.  I studied education and visual arts while in school and later became a teacher. In addition to bonsai, I have a passion for martial arts and hold a 4th degree blackbelt in Sibpalgee kung fu specializing in classical weapons. While in high school, I developed an interest in Japanese gardens and in 1971, was presented with my first bonsai—a gift from my father. I ardently began studying bonsai and in 1980, discovered the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society and joined that organization where my knowledge and skills were able to grow and take shape.

I studied extensively under Vaughn Banting, but also had such teachers as John Naka, David DeGroot, Ben Oki, Warren Hill, Dennis Makishima and Mauro Stemberger. In 1982, I started Bennett’s Bonsai Nursery which operated until 2005.  During those years, I began teaching, writing articles on bonsai, managing individual bonsai collections for clients, conducting study groups, and continued to develop my bonsai skills. I became very active in the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society, serving as newsletter editor for several years and multiple times as president. In addition to the many articles I wrote for the newsletter, I was also a contributing author for the book Indoor Bonsai, published by the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.

Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, and I lost my entire bonsai collection of over 200 trees.  It was such a devastating blow that I sold the nursery. But after a brief respite, I began collecting again and rebuilding my collection.  Since that time, I have concentrated on my personal trees and continue to write articles and teach bonsai. I am a member of Bonsai Clubs International, the American Bonsai Society, the Lone Star Bonsai Federation, the Gulf Coast Bonsai Federation, the Louisiana Bonsai Society and the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society.

While I love working on all trees, my true passion is with the many deciduous species and in particular, bald cypress.  I wrote the book Bonsai Design: Bald Cypresses and dedicated it to my mentor, Vaughn Banting. Now that I am retired from the school system, I am able to indulge my passion with bonsai to the fullest as a traveling bonsai artist providing lecture/demos, educational programs, workshops and study groups. In addition, I am currently working on another book on bonsai dealing with advanced techniques and design.