Born in Chile and educated in the United States, McPhail was raised in Palo Alto and now lives in Mountain View, California. He attended Menlo College, the U.S Naval Academy, and San Francisco Stat...view moreBorn in Chile and educated in the United States, McPhail was raised in Palo Alto and now lives in Mountain View, California. He attended Menlo College, the U.S Naval Academy, and San Francisco State University. A longtime freelance writer, he is an avid traveler and spent forty years as a marketing executive in the airline and hospitality industries. He devoted nearly 20 years to fundraising and governance for Hanna Boys Center in Sonoma, California.view less