Denise brought Drew into the beauty business when she opened Special FX.

"At first I worked as receptionist, shampoo boy, janitor, and Denise' right hand man," Drew said. "Then I completed my cosmetology degree and license a year later. This profession allow me the creativity that I need and is never boring. I get to know a lot of interesting people at the Salon. Lissa is one of my favorites." He is referring to radio news director, Lissa Kriesler of KBAY-FM. Sometimes Drew stops by the radio station for a short on-the-air chat with Lissa.

"She'll talk about wacky cuts that I've just given her, and lets me talk about the Haircut-A-Thon," he said. And this is what Lissa had to say about Drew: "Forget about the great job Drew does on my hair...I like going to Special FX...just to see him. Between weaves, and cuts and blow dries, Drew and I have spent enough time together to be part of each other's families. He knows my husband and my kids, and I know all about him. He even drove out to my house one New Year's Eve to make me presentable.

He's great with the hair and great with the heart. Even before I started going to him, he would make house calls to my mom, when she was too ill to come in and get her hair done. He's a gem...a great conversationalist, and a terrific stylist which you need to be to make my hair look good."

The Special FX outreach projects are a very positive thing in Drew's life. Last year he served on the Steering Committee for the Haircut-A-Thon and coordinated the day's entertainment. A highlight of the day was seeing Drew dunked in the dunk tank by his fellow employees and clients. As always, he came up laughing The Rebeccah Home project is another favorite outreach project.

"I know what it is like to loose a member of the family since my brother died several years ago. It feels good to help these kids and let them know that there are people who care about them. Working on that project and the Rebeccah Home project and the Haircut-A-Thon brings us all closer together as a group with a common goal. It's a chance to use our talents to give something back to the community," Drew said.

Drew takes appointments at the Salon on Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and other times you can find him working out, playing tennis, or on the beach with his dogs. He loves to travel and has visited his relatives in the Netherlands half-a-dozen times. He enjoys Europe and has visited Fiji, Australia and New Zealand. This year he plans to focus on saving money with the long-term goal of buying a house. Go for it, Drew. We are all rooting for you!