Phil retired as the President of the Commodity Specialist Company in 2019, an agri-products trading, marketing and transportation company that was founded as a spin-off from The Pillsbury Company in the early 90s. Prior to that, Phil was a commerical banker and operations director at Norwest Banks for over a decade after receiving his BA from Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota. Phil is an active volunteer in many philanthropic endeavors including Dodoma Christian Medical Center, Lutheran World Relief, The Salvation Army and several other Christian organizations.