Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Tony is a proud "Southsider", and a graduate of U.S. Grant High School. He began his Navy career as a nuclear propulsion instructor before transitioning into the Navy Intelligence community.

Over 21 years of naval service, Tony led complex global operations during multiple overseas and shipboard assignments. His ship was the first responder to the 2010 North Korean torpedo attack on the Republic of Korea vessel Cheonan, providing force protection and intelligence collection support. Additionally, he was in-country during Japan’s 2011 Great Tōhoku 9.1 magnitude earthquake where he supported disaster recovery and evacuation efforts. A specialist in East Asian security and military strategy, he advised senior government leaders and directed high-level initiatives across the U.S. Intelligence Community and top military headquarters. He concluded his military service at the National Security Agency leading cyber security operations throughout the Pacific region.

He holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Oklahoma, M.S. in Computer Science from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a graduate from the U.S. Naval War college focused on advanced military planning. He most recently completed the Certificate of Management from Georgetown University. Tony is a retired US Navy Commander and currently resides in Oklahoma where he operates his family's residential real estate company.

Tony is passionate about emerging technology, travel and surfing.