Chris is one of ten children and grew up on a dairy farm in Cache Valley. His father was an Air Force pilot who retired to teach school and farm. His mother was a full-time homemaker who was recognized as the Utah Mother of the Year in 1996.

Chris and Evie both graduated from both Sky View High School and Utah State University, where Chris earned his degree in economics. Upon graduation, Chris joined the United States Air Force where he was the Distinguished Graduate (top of his class) in both Officer Training School and Undergraduate Pilot Training.

He served for fourteen years as a pilot in the Air Force, flying both rescue helicopters and the B-1B bomber. On June 3, 1995, Chris led two B-1s on a nonstop flight around the world, setting three world speed records in the process, including the fastest non-stop flight around the world.

Chris is president and CEO of the Shipley Group. Shipley is nationally recognized for their consulting expertise in energy and the environment, as well as government anti-terrorism training and corporate security and executive preparedness consulting. During the time that Chris has been at the helm of the company, Shipley has increased its sales and profitability many times over.

Chris is a best-selling author whose books have been published in six different countries. Seven Miracles that Saved America was awarded the National Communications Award by the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge. His latest book, The Miracle of Freedom- Seven Tipping Points that Saved the World, was a New York Times bestseller within two weeks of publication. His other books include The Great & Terrible series and A Christmas Bell for Anya, which he co-authored with his wife and which was performed at the 2005 Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert.

Chris has appeared many times on national television and radio programs. He has been a guest on Glenn Beck’s Fox television program multiple times, commenting on matters of history and current affairs. He has also appeared on CNN and been interviewed by Laura Ingraham, Michael Medved, and G. Gordon Liddy, among many others. He is a sought after public speaker and has been a guest editorialist for the Detroit Free Press, among other publications, writing about national security and military affairs.

In his spare time, Chris and his family love rock climbing, rappelling, and hiking through some of our state’s most remote places.