My Story:

I grew up an hour south of Houston, TX, along the Gulf Coast, and learned the value of hard work from my father. He was a handyman, general contractor, and then earned his certification in air conditioning after being downsized from Dow Chemical months after I was born.  He took me along frequently to jobs fixing people's A/C's at their homes and doing all kinds of remodeling and maintenance at 'the office buildings' (a group of professional buildings along SH 288B in Angleton) that he had a long-term side job to maintain. I have been climbing on roofs since I was six and trying to learn from him as best I could. Around the time I was seven, he got hired on to Brazosport ISD as an A/C tech and loved the job so much that he earned several promotions, wound up running the department, and worked until he was physically unable. He was known as 'Mac' and the people who worked for him thought he was a fantastic boss because he cared for them and stuck up for them. He was my hero and the hardest-working man I have ever met. I learned so much from him! I lost him to lung cancer last year, but he continues to be my inspiration.

I excelled at school, but always had a hard time fitting in until I found my way in high school with theatre, speech and debate, and cross-country. I started taking college classes after my freshman year thanks to the support of my very wise guidance counselor, Mr. Frank Negovetich. I realized I could take college classes for high school credit and, because I had the support of my parents and Mr. Neg., I did just that. I wound up having more college courses than courses taken at the actual high school on my high school transcript and graduated with an associate degree from Brazosport College (with high honors) two weeks before I graduated high school as a three-year graduate.  

I should have been valedictorian based on my GPA, but because I was a three-year graduate the district took away two of my AP classes and downgraded the points to regular credit so I wound up ranked 3rd in the year 2000 graduating class of 353. In high school, I loved Lincoln-Douglas debate and was very successful, even making it to the regional finals. I also excelled at extemporaneous speaking and was an alternate to state my junior/senior year. I also greatly enjoyed theatre and got involved with both the high school and community college programs.  I've acted as a supporting and lead in several plays, but my favorite job was lighting design. I also worked at Chick-fil-a during this time and after a few months, was promoted to shift manager. It was my first taste of leadership in the business world.

 Fast forward a few years and after bouncing between majors, doing some growing up, having jobs at Best Buy, Olive Garden, and spending time as a substitute teacher, I found my way to the University of  Houston-Victoria in June of 2002 where I focused on computer science with a minor in education. While I was two classes short of finishing my teacher certification minor, I did graduate with a bachelor of science in computer science and a minor in mathematics in August of 2003.

After graduation, I had a few more odd jobs, including returning to Brazoport College as a theatre tech, before I joined the US Air Force as a communications officer in April of 2004. I learned an immense amount about governmental operations, leadership, budgeting, and project management during my time in the Air Force. After separating, I married the love of my life, Jenifer, moved back to Houston to work in manufacturing, and we bought our first house.

In the fall of 2007, I had the opportunity to join ExpressJet Airlines (at that time a Continental Express carrier) and fell in love with commercial aviation. 

If you've made it this far, I'm impressed!  But at this point, most of the story is on LinkedIn, so I'm going to fast forward to seminal moments and get us up to the present!

I've had the opportunity to advance in my career through many airlines, with many different roles, and many different titles always pushing me to learn and grow. However, nothing is as important as the fall of 2015 when we welcomed our amazing daughter into the world! We were again blessed in the summer of 2018 with our son and since then, the world has revolved around making sure our kids have what they need and access to opportunities they can seize. 

During this time, I started pursuing a master's degree with Friends University, but little did I know how long that road would be. Through job upheaval, the scourge of COVID, and pauses to ensure I could keep bills paid, I wound up taking the long road to graduating with a Master's in Management Information Systems this December. I was also able to earn a certification as a Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma along the way. Part of this journey included our move to Wisconsin.

I rejoined ExpressJet Airlines in February of 2020 right before COVID decimated the airline industry. After doing everything we could to make it work, including the aha! venture based in Reno, NV, the company was forced to liquidate and I was fortunate enough to find a place with Air Wisconsin in October of 2022. 

Our family moved as soon as the school year was over and we became Wisconsinites in May of 2023. Despite the challenges we faced with real estate, we knew wanted to be in the Neenah school district and were fortunate enough to secure our home on Lorraine Avenue. Our kids now attend the Alliance Charter School and coming from Texas, I can tell you that Neenah JSD blows away anything that exists in the greater Houston area. I am grateful to be here, but now that I know more, I know we can be even better.

 I have a unique set of skills, experiences, and talent that I want to contribute to the Neenah JSD school board to help our district close gaps, foster preparedness for life after school, protect and nurture our kids, and make school a great experience for our kids. I also know how to drive value and hold partners accountable to ensure our tax dollars achieve the desired effect. 

I hope if you have any questions or concerns you will reach out to me and give me a chance to address them! Email Me! 

Please join me and let's work together for the benefit of all NJSD Students!

PPS.... If you made it this far, what are you waiting for? I'd love the opportunity to earn your vote!