My experiences have shaped my priorities - Families, Infrastructure and Service - and prepared me to serve on City Council as an advocate for this community.

So, who am I? My dad was a UPS driver for more than 30 years and a proud Teamster. My mom was a school teacher for more than 30 years and stressed the importance of education. Because of their quality jobs, my ability to throw a fastball, and a strong education, I was able to attend William Jewell College with their help, baseball and academic scholarships, and a few loans. 

After college, Angie started her teaching career and I did a year of national service through AmeriCorps in Washington, DC. I was proudly sworn in for a year of service by President Barack Obama on the White House South Lawn and the next day was in a 4th grade math classroom, where I spent a year working with students from a historically disadvantaged neighborhood.

From there, I worked at the nation’s largest trade association for the trucking industry, where I helped advocate for infrastructure investments, driver safety, workforce development policies and vehicle emissions reductions. And we got things done, working with partners, government agencies and the public to negotiate and implement effective policies and programs that strengthened the supply chain, workforce and public safety. At night, I worked on and completed my master's in public management from Johns Hopkins University.

Today, almost a decade after my year of national service, I work on infrastructure policy at Burns & McDonnell, where I support some of the region and state's multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects. And Angie teaches at Apache Elementary School, in the northwest corner of Ward 2, one of Shawnee Mission School District's most diverse schools.

As a new dad who has seen how policy can generate - or limit - opportunity and growth for our neighbors, neighborhoods and industries, I want to help enact Forward OP, a forward-thinking vision for Overland Park. That means building on Overland Park’s strengths that make it a great place to live while supporting sustainable growth by promoting inclusive policies that attract young families and retain the folks who call Overland Park home, today. What my family loves about life in Nall Hills is what I want to secure for our community’s future - great places to live with access to great parks, schools and amenities, proximity to quality jobs, investment in our infrastructure, and an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere in which we can raise our families and share successes as a community.