I’m a lifelong Monroe County resident calling rural Sparta my home for 54 years.  I grew up in a faith-based home, as my Mother was a factory worker, and Dad was most of the time a self-employed roofer. We were a blue-collar working family.

 

My leadership journey spans over 30 years of experience in elected government positions.  My mission has always been to establish a government that prioritizes the well-being of residents over political agendas, and that's what separates this campaign apart from traditional political approaches.

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At the age of 16, I started with a three-thousand-dollar loan to buy heifers that ultimately became my base for a milking herd. I spent the next 30 years dairying. I also partnered with my father who had been running a recycling business for about 15 years.  I currently have a small cow calf beef operation with my brother.

 

I’m a graduate of Sparta high school, and been married to my wife, Rachel, for 33 years.  We are care givers, taking care of our adult disabled children who call our rural Sparta residence home as well.

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At the age of 26, I took the challenge to run for Monroe County Board and successfully won, being the second youngest member to serve on the board. I have served on and off on the County Board for over 30 years.  I am currently the Monroe County Board Chair.

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I have been involved in town government as chair, along with being on many service organizations, FFA, shelter care, and the regional planning commission.  My favorite public service for 28 years, that I love doing, is taking safety patrol kids to Washington DC to tour our nation’s capital.

 

My involvement in politics came about because a man named Ronald Reagan, an outsider to Washington, understood that as a nation, we are to run government from the bottom up and not top down.