I came to Beaverton when I was 5 and have spent most of my life here. I attended Vose Elementary and Highland Park Middle School before graduating from Beaverton High School. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and a Master’s degree from Multnomah University and I’m currently participating in a Graduate Certificate program at the University of Virginia because I love to learn and I feel it will better help me support my community in elected office.
I’ve worked in county government for over 20 years, with the last 10 as an administrator. Most of my professional life has been spent working with at-risk youth in the criminal justice and mental health fields. Because of this, I’ve developed detailed knowledge of how county government works, as well as an experienced understanding of the perspective of county employees, the needs of the citizens and both the strengths and limitations of government.
Over the years, I’ve participated in a variety of public service efforts to try to give back the blessings I’ve received. This has been as a volunteer basketball coach for many years and by teaching Growth Group classes at church. I’m honored to currently serve on both the Washington County Homeless Plan Advisory Committee (HPAC), the the Rural Roads Maintenance Advisory Committee (RROMAC). I’m also a member of the Washington County Public Affairs Forum.
I’ve been married to my great wife Tabitha, who works as a Registered Nurse, for over 26 years. We have two sons who are graduates of Hillsboro High School, the oldest of which, recently graduated from the University of Oregon.
My wife and I are proud to say that we both come from blue-collar families. My father is a retired machinist and my mother worked in the Fab at Intel after staying at home to raise me and my siblings. My wife’s mother is a retired teacher and her father was a licensed caulker and janitor.
We have both known what it’s like to struggle financially, like many Washington County families do. We’ve used public assistance to survive and have wondered at times how we would make it through the month. At one point, we even had to use our oven to heat our home because we couldn’t afford to fix the furnace.
But, despite these challenges we were able to work hard and make sacrifices to get to where we are today. I want to help remove all barriers for all citizens, so everybody has the same opportunity to prosper in this great county. My experiences have always inspired me to seek new ways to give back and elected public service is the best opportunity I know of to be able to do this. My friends, I’m well prepared to lead Washington County and make it the best county it can be for everybody!