Bradley Gresens:
CLASS OF 1988
Edmonds High SchoolClass of 1988
Edmonds, WA
University of Detroit - Mercy - Graduate SchoolClass of 2007
Detroit, MI
General Motors Institute Engineering & ManagementClass of 1994
Flint, MI
Bradley's Story
Life
Lot's has happened since High School, here is the quick run down:
-Phil Ulberg and I drove 15000 miles around the US
-Went to GMI in Flint, Michigan for a BSEE
-Started working for Masco, then Cosworth, then Ford
- Parents moved to PA (first time in 17 years the family was in one time zone.)
-Ford moved me to Aachen, Germany for 6 months
-then to London, England for 3 years
-Met Katherine in London
-Married Katherine on 23-Aug-2004 (at my parents house in PA)
-Moved back to the US (Detroit Area) in Jan-04
-My father passed away in Mar-04
-Finished my MS in Product Development in 2007
-No longer married to Katherine in 2008...
- learned who my real friends are... nuf said
-Back in the dating scene, gotta admit it is a bit weird
-Mom lives in PA, Sister in NJ, and Brother in VA
Ok, that is probably not the most exciting synopsis, and my work paragraphs below my be a little dry too, so I will try to put a little more fun into it.
I have done a lot in my life and I can be a bit of an adrenaline junkie... I guess that is why I jumped out of an airplane a few years back, but then again it could be because my mom did it and there was no way I was going to be outdone by her!
I started riding motorcycles in England, what a great place to ride. The drivers are aware of you and they have twisties like you would not believe; just watch out for where sheep cross the road, if they are not there they may have left you a very slippery little present to wash your front wheel out on... Yes, I did hold that one; although, I have come off twice. The first time I hit sand on a corner and my front tire washed out for a nice low side lay down; only a couple of scratches on the bike (Frame Sliders are well worth the investment). The second time was a bit more costly... One piece of advice for anyone who wants to pull a wheelie, make sure you put the rubber back on the road, and not the handlebars, it can be very expensive. One note from that incident, I have always worn full gear, and my leathers literally saved my ass that day. No offense to anyone, but if you are not wearing proper protection, you are an idiot, remember there are 2 types of riders: those that have come off, and those that will. Ok, I stopped riding when I came back to the US, cause we were thinking about kids and she said no way on the bike. Needless to say, I am riding again!
I kept playing soccer through my European tour (England Division 9), but had to stop due to injuries. This getting old thing sucks, it used to be that everyone else would get hurt, now it is me, and all those old injuries are rearing their heads again. The main problem with soccer is that I cannot tone it down; all it takes is one guy breaking free for a 1:1 and the old habits ...Expand for more
kick in, then I hobble off and have to drink a beer (ok, so it's not all bad)
Instead I starting playing volleyball in college. Much less contact, although I did end up in a cast twice cause the hitter stepped over the line and I landed on his foot (now I have to wear a brace whenever I play indoor) Life is funny, sometimes you need a bad thing to happen to realize how good things are. Anyway, I am playing sand ball in the summer and I am happy, I forgot how much I love the game.
One thing that living in England and being married to a half Scot did was give me an appreciation for whiskey. The down side, it gave me an appreciation for whiskey... expensive whiskey. Anything less that 12YO Scotch, forget it. Really love the Isly though. Also found I really like bourbon, Woodford Reserve and Knob Creek are excellent, and btw Gentlemen Jack and CR Special Reserve are also very good, especially with a Monte Cristo Habana, Partagas, or Romeo and Julietta.
Ok, I have been in a so-so mood since the divorce, but things are looking up and I am dating again, so we will see what happens; I still have my dog (at least one of them). For those who don't know or haven't figured it out, I have lived in 6 countries, and 4 states throughout my life, which has given me a little different perspective on things.
How bad can things be... the Redwings win their 4th Stanley Cup in 11 Years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Too bad about the Pistons, and we won't talk about the Tigers.
Workplace
Started working as a dish dog at Anthony's Homeport in Edmonds. Worked my way up through various jobs, including pantry, line, and prep work.
Did a brief stint as an engineering aid at a military contractor in Redmond during college, before moving to Michigan full time to work for Masco R&D.
While working as a plant engineer Masco Tech, I was offered a job with Cosworth working on Ford diagnostic systems. After a couple of years, I switched to alternative fuel control systems.
Apparently Ford liked my work, because they offered me a job working on diesel control systems for a European vehicle (Transit) After launching the Transit (including many trips to Belgium, where it is built) Ford asked me to move to Aachen, Germany to design the control system for a new diesel engine. After six months in Germany, they moved my project to Basildon, England and I moved to London for 3.5 years.
Once the engine launched, Ford brought me back to the US to work on developing new diesel engines for the US. Now I work on programs in trouble, my job is to manage them and get them back on track. I would tell you the latest but I am not supposed to, and by the time you read this it will most likely have changed anyway (I had 4 jobs in 2008, not sure if that is good or bad)
Register for Free to view all details!
Yearbooks
Register for Free to view all yearbooks!
Reunions
Photos
Register for Free to view all photos!