What is your connection to the Tosa community?
So my family and I have lived in peps park for six years, and we love our Tosa community. I’m proud parent of two kids in the Tosa school district, a first grader and a third grader, who both attend W stem over the years, I’ve been involved in the wauwatosa School community by volunteering as a Project Lead the Way, FUTURE CITIES judge, a green team parent volunteer, a spooky Lab Day presenter, high interest day volunteer, and Warrior Dash race volunteer. I’ve also spent time in the classroom as mystery readers, chaperoning various field trips each year, and attending special presentations, projects, events and concerts whenever possible. These experiences have given me a deep understanding of both the challenges and opportunities in our schools, and they’ve reinforced my passion for helping our district succeed.
Why are you running to be on the school board?
So this is a funny story. You know how every family has that one person that they go to for medical advice? So as an engineer, many people come to me for that. You know how to support their basement wall or things like that. So I feel like the community is calling upon me. This is my time to shine, where I can bring my professional background in architecture, engineering and construction to this time of referenda. I think my education in industrial engineering and my professional experiences in future casting and strategic planning will really help me make sure that the community understands what and where our referendum dollars are being spent, and how we can track that and make sure it gets to the kids in our community, and that we’re seeing an actual long term plan as we’re executing those projects
What do you think the school board has done really well recently?
Our school board and district has done a great job of engaging the community and securing support for the recent referendum, ensuring that much needed improvements for our schools are able to be done as a school as a school board member.
What would be your number one priority on the school board?
My top priority is helping the district manage the referendum funds responsibly and strategically with students and teachers best interests in mind. Our community has placed a lot of trust in the board to invest in our schools wisely. My strategic planning experience makes me well equipped to ensure that these funds are used effectively to improve the facilities and and enhance student experiences,
What unique professional or personal perspective would bring the board?
I bring a combination of technical expertise and hands-on community involvement. My professional experience will help the district act smart with long term investments, but beyond that, I understand the day to day realities of a parent with school aged kids. I know what it’s like to navigate school events, support academic challenges and celebrate student successes. That balance of technical knowledge, and the personal connection will help me make informed, thoughtful decisions. I’m also committed to seeing that STEM programming thrives in this community. If the district and board is going to close WSTEM a top performing school in the state, then I’m going to make sure the program that replaces it is the most successful it can
What is something you’ve accomplished in the last year that you’re proud of?
So I’m incredibly proud of my family this past year. This may not be exactly the answer to your question, but it truly reflects what my wife, Libby and I strive for every day over the past year. We’ve faced numerous challenges that pushed us to our limits, testing our resilience and strength, both personally and as a family. Libby conquered the Chicago Marathon last fall, all while still working as a certified nurse midwife, holding a pivotal role on our school board, schools governance Council and supporting her through all that training. While juggling lots of meetings and family schedules, we definitely worked as a team, and needed to work as a team. My kids each took on new academic challenges this past year and joined new sports teams, so we had lots of big, emotional milestones over those processes, and then I went back to school to sharpen some of my professional skills for the next leadership step in my career. Honestly just running for school board has been a challenge in itself. Although if I’m not elected, I feel like I’ve done a good job of getting out into the community and talking about what’s important to me.
How will you ensure students’ perspectives are represented on the school board?
The Student representatives on the board already do a fantastic job providing thoughtful and honest feedback. I am consistently impressed by their insight and obvious dedication to the board. I want to make sure that those voices are amplified at the board level, and that the board members remain accessible to all students, not just the ones sitting at the table and families. It is important that we create opportunities for students and families to share their perspectives, not just during meetings but through ongoing conversations and outreach. We need to be intentional about listening to all students and making sure that they have a voice and feel heard
What are just some fun facts about yourself?
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I used to be an avid runner. My wife and I actually met at Milwaukee School of Engineering on the cross country team. She recently picked up running again. I quit cold turkey about 10 years ago, or conveniently, around the time our first child was born. Since then, I’ve tried all different kinds of hobbies, from joining a dad’s tennis league at Hart Park to rock painting and backyard science experiments with my kids. One of my favorite life experiences was spending a year as a stay at home dad around 2020. It was challenging, but one of my most rewarding times of my life, but probably the most fun fact of all is our family includes two cats, but only seven legs between the two cats.
