why Wilsonville

In July 2018, my wife, daughter, and I moved 3,000 miles from Richmond, Virginia, to Wilsonville. We didn’t just move for a job or a house; we moved to "do life" alongside dear friends. As someone whose roots were always in either the deep city or the rural countryside, transitioning to suburban Wilsonville was a shift—but a welcome one. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find a community of neighbors who have become true friends, all sharing a common goal: bridging cultural, economic, and political divides to keep our city strong.

about me

I am the grandchild of Irish immigrants and Appalachian factory workers—people who knew the value of a hard day’s work and a tight-knit community. Growing up in a diverse neighborhood in East Cleveland, my life was a blend of worlds: weekdays immersed in the vibrant, multicultural energy of the city, and weekends in the country with my cousins.

Those early years taught me how to listen and lead in any environment, whether in a crowded urban center or on a quiet rural porch. I learned early on that everyone, everywhere, has a story to tell and a lesson to teach. That "all-terrain" upbringing is what drives my values-based approach today.

In our current political climate, the divides can feel permanent. But I’ve always been the person people turn to when conversations get tough and decisions get complicated. I enjoy bringing people together through a collaborative, problem-solving approach designed to replace political chaos with steady, common-sense stability for all our neighbors.