ONE great grandfather plunged into the carcass of a whale to better understand the experience of Jonah; another built his own coffin and was known to jump in and demonstrate how well he fit.

From a young man, Peter Brangman-Burnett understood that it was far easier for him to take the straight road; that his antics would always pale in comparison to those of his colourful ancestors.

He chose banking as a career and devoted 22 years of his life to it before his recent appointment as chief executive officer of the Sierra Council, a non-profit organisation based in California, and dedicated to the education and treatment of all persons affected by alcoholism or drug addiction.

"I was born in Bermuda," the 62-year-old said. "My great grandfather, Tommy Fox, was rather well known in St. David's. He decided he wanted to explore the (biblical experience of) Jonah and the whale, so he found a dead one and slid down its throat and had someone cut him out.

"The smell was so bad they had to burn his clothes after he came out. My grandfather, Fred Brangman, was a sail maker and bridge tender who worked on the Swing Bridge. My mother, Enid Brangman, worked at the Perfume Factory and my cousin, Nancy Hooper, is the corporation secretary for the Corporation of St. George's."

Dr. Brangman-Burnett said he attended St. George's Grammar School until he left Bermuda, first at the age of nine, and then at the age of 15, when his mother married Allan Burnett, an American GI, and the family moved to the United States.

"I've been in and out of Bermuda ever since," he said. "A lot of my family is still there and I get back every two or three years."

DR. Brangman-Burnett holds a Bachelor's degree in management with honours from St. Mary's College in Moraga, California and attained a Doctorate in marketing and management - also with honours - from the University of St. Moritz, Switzerland. Today, he lives in Vacaville, California, with his wife Robin, an occupational therapy student. He has two children, Cristy and Bruce.

While working as a banker, Dr. Brangman-Burnett specialised in commerical and business lending, managing the SBA lending division of California Bancshares in the San Ramon Valley. The Bermudian said he once considered applying that knowledge and experience in the place he "still refers to as home" but when it came to the crunch, he couldn't follow through.

"I came home in 1991 and spoke with Jack Lightbourn about moving to the Bank of Bermuda," he said. "And then I thought about it. I thought about all the changes I would have to make and about how American I'd become; how I'd have to drive on the left-hand side of the road at 22 miles an hour, and decided to remain where I was. It was a tough decision."

The Sierra Council, established in 1972, offers assistance to individuals, families, public agencies and employers through a number of methods including residential treatment and detox, outpatient services and counselling.

"The Sierra Council is a 38-bed treatment house staffed by approximately 50 employees," Dr. Brangman-Burnett explained. "What I do is manage the people and the resources of the operation. I don't actually assist in (patient) recovery myself, although I worked as a volunteer in a similar programme for 20 years. I doubt I'll ever retire."

An Air Force major, Dr. Brangman-Burnett is a Rotarian and remains active in many civic pursuits. His hobbies include travel and gardening and in the past he was an avid skydiver.

"I was tired of banking," he said of his switch to a non-profit organisation. "I'd done that for 22 years. I wanted to do something that made life better for people. Some of my friends and close family members had been involved in the disease of alcoholism.

"What I hope to get out of (my new position) is the joy of seeing other people recover and lead productive lives. I guess I'm driven by the idea of helping others."