Biography

I was born in early 1966, to turbulent times. My dad had been drafted and sent to Vietnam with hundreds of thousands of other brave young men. My family lived in Yuba County at that time, in the small but politically relevant town of Wheatland. My grandfather on my dad's side was a ranch manager for the Whitney Warren Ranch on the outskirts and my mom's father and mother owned a gas station and restaurant in downtown Wheatland right on Hwy. 65. Of all my relatives, my grandmother worked the hardest and had the most influence on my worldview. She ran the restaurant from the kitchen and did all the accounting for both the restaurant and my grandfather's gas station next door. She was the center of our family, the matriarch for the times. She was the toughest, sweetest, hardest working person I'd ever known. Sadly, for many years, she lived with the abuse that came with an alcoholic spouse during a time when divorce was frowned upon. She remained strong, however, surviving my grandfather's violence and would move on to become a civic leader, a successful business owner and real estate broker. She worked every day well into her late 80's, right up until her passing. I marveled at her energy and learned a great deal from her wisdom. One detail of her story that always stuck with me was her time serving in the Tennessee State Legislature as a secretary for then Representative Al Gore. She'd say that's what led to her being invited to Jimmy Carter's inauguration, as she'd show me the framed invitation she treasured. For some reason, even back then, this all meant a great deal to me. Most importantly, my grandmother had no qualms about casting her voice and her opinions into the rivers of conservativism that flowed through most of our rural communities. She could stand up to and argue or debate with the "best of 'em" and always held her own. That was the spirit and passion that she passed on to me.

I remember some of my earliest jobs were in the walnut orchards, putting nuts into a five-gallon bucket for 25 cents. I was picking corn and peaches before I was a teenager and ended up working at the same Whitney Warren Ranch, long after my grandfather who ran it passed away. We moved two or three times, but our house always seemed to be very near to the Bear River or Feather River so naturally, I learned to fish and hunt, camp, canoe and survive. ​

I was a kid that loved mechanical things and tools and the idea of building and repairing always appealed to me. I learned how to make or fix just about anything, and this naturally helped a young mind learn how to problem-solve. I excelled all through school; in academics, athletics, student government and career-technical courses. Nevertheless, when I went off to college in 1984, I was not prepared for the enormity of that change, and I left after a year to join the workforce.

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For the next ten years, I would work a wide variety of jobs, from forklift driver to restaurant host to lab technician. From custom car audio installation to retail sales management, I did just about anything to make ends meet.  I learned to pay the bills and depend on myself to get by. In my mid-twenties, I started a family and never looked back. In 1997, I was managing a CD and music store in al mall, when a particular event would change the trajectory of my life and send me back to college at Fresno State to become a teacher, but another twist of fate would find me on the Barking Bulldogs Debate Team, where I did well and won a number of awards. I had an internship with the local U.S. Congressman from Fresno lined up for my last semester, but then 9/11 happened and everything changed. I signed on as an intern with the City of Lemoore thanks to City Manager Steve Froberg, and after I graduated with a degree in Communication and Philosophy the internship became a full-time government analyst position for the next seven years. These times also afforded me the opportunity to learn all aspects of local government administration and to be trained by a City Manager of the highest caliber. Steve Froberg, the man responsible for my internship and political career was a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army, a Purple Heart recipient who later served in the Pentagon. He was my friend and mentor. I easily learned more during those seven years than any other in my professional life. His spirit also lives with me today.

The work at the City of Lemoore was diverse. Writing policy and other legislation and presenting it for public consumption every week was just the routine. I authored grants, built parks and other community facilities, recruited and hired the police force, and managed the health care system for nearly 200 employees. I put up solar panels, incorporated electric cars into our fleet, and planted trees - enough to qualify Lemoore as a Tree City, USA member. I supported the elderly population in many ways and worked closely with the Tachi Yokut tribe at the Santa Rosa Rancheria to the benefit of our many native peoples there. I was appointed to the Board of Directors and elected to the Executive Committee where I served as Secretary for the San Joaquin Valley Power Authority. The SJVPA was a coalition of 13 Central California cities, including Fresno, that organized to begin producing cleaner energy than was being made available at the time by PG&E. The utility giant fought us tooth and nail in the public square and the experience I gained in those confrontations will never leave me. At then three nights a week, just for kicks and a little extra money, I'd teach public speaking at the local community college, West Hills.

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Eventually though, life changes. There was a divorce, and I left all of that political life behind and moved back to Northern California with my daughter to pursue a new career as a public-school teacher. I would go back to college – a single dad with a teenage girl. Before it was over, I would find myself in post-2008 recession bankruptcy, living off of substitute teacher pay and financial aid in Section 8 housing. But we were strong and persevered together; she worked while in junior college and helped pay the bills. We were tough through the hardest of times, and by 2013, I had earned my teaching credentials and had started teaching sixth grade Math & Science in Lake County, one of the poorest and most neglected areas in the State. I taught the elementary kids for five years, then in 2017, I took over the High School Auto and Paint Shop Program from the retiring teacher and put my love of math, science, racing cars and teaching kids together into what has proven to be the most rewarding and fulfilling job I’ve had. so far. That is where you find me today.

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​My daughter, meanwhile, earned her degree in Environmental Science from Humboldt State and then moved back to Lake County. She now serves as the Water Resources Manager for the Environmental Department at Big Valley Rancheria. My son-in-law graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Toxicology and now serves as a Certified Arborist in and around Lake County. I’m proud of them both and proud to know that Public Service runs in our blood and in our family.

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THESE ARE DESPERATE TIMES, and our democracy needs a new kind of leader…incorruptible, honest, hard-working, and not beholden to corporate donations and demands like so many of our current lawmakers. Knowledgeable, informed, logical, not self-serving, compassionate, empathetic, dedicated to our democratic values and to our Constitution...these are the qualities that we should look for in a Congressional representative.

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I am all of these.

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Too many politicians today are hungry for fame, money, or power. Some join the game through personal financial independence afforded to them through family names or fortunes. Some join because they’ve been hand-picked by the establishment as the next successor in an intricate system of aristocratic hierarchy.
 

I am none of these.

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I am here because I am supposed to be here. Now is the time. I have the political experience to navigate through the swamp, I have the courage and conviction to always stand up for what is right, and I have the strength of character to resist the influences of the negative forces in Washington. I believe that it is this intricate and timely combination of life, work and educational experiences that makes me uniquely qualified to be your next Representative in Washington DC.​​