Don Gladden is a graduate of Southern Illinois University – Carbondale with a degree in Financial Management and post-graduate work in Administration. He attended on scholarships in athletics (football) and academics. He spent 48 years in various management positions in the medical fields of clinic management and long-term health care, university administration, and forays in the trucking industry and public accounting. The last twenty-five years of his career were spent in Christian broadcasting. Starting as a volunteer prayer partner at his local Christian TV station, his path took him through many aspects of the broadcasting industry: accounting, station manager, constructing studios, on-air talent, and several years as General Manager for the TCT Network. In his retirement, his time is spent writing and in ministry and volunteer activities.