About me

I am a father of three, a broad-based educator, and a seasoned manager and leader. From a young age, my parents taught me the importance of giving back to others in service of the greater good. This perspective is what motivates me to contribute to the community in any way I can. I am all in for all students and eager to bring all of my experiences, education, and expertise to serve on Oakwood School Board.

Originally from Columbus, I have lived in the Dayton area for the past 16+ years. I earned both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Wright State University. While completing my Master’s degree coursework, I led efforts with a local non-profit to support families who were under-resourced and worked to connect them with access to critical resources, educational attainment, and career advancement. This experience provided me with greater understanding into the needs and lived experiences of others with a wide variety of backgrounds.

After graduating with my Master’s, I began to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools, before accepting a role to coordinate and integrate whole-classroom support for English Learners (ELs) with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio (ESCCO) for 28+ school districts throughout Ohio.

I greatly value my time in education, as it further solidified my understanding and insights into the complex needs, challenges, and opportunities to support students in reaching academic success and future growth. Working daily with students from diverse backgrounds, such as ELs, individuals with differing abilities, students experiencing housing instability or food insecurity, while addressing the social-emotional needs that impact the wellbeing and lives of our students has given me firsthand experience in strategically supporting a wide variety of district needs and goals.

I have seen the immense value Oakwood Schools bring to the community. For this reason, my family and I chose to permanently settle in Oakwood. We moved into the district at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which we experienced Oakwood’s response to the pandemic. This was a challenging time for many of us, particularly as we, as a community, learned how to navigate school, health, safety, and technology in new ways. Similar to many others, we no longer had childcare for the two youngest children and we quickly had to learn how to help my oldest daughter through the virtual and hybrid aspects of school. For many of us, the pandemic underscored the need to think creatively and collaborate effectively in finding opportunities to holistically meet the needs of students, their families, and the community. I am grateful for the welcoming community of Oakwood, as we all leaned on each other during that time, and continue to do so.

I currently serve as an organizational leader in healthcare administration, working with health plans that administer Medicaid, Marketplace, and Medicare benefits. In my role, I create programs with a lens for quality improvement and health equity to ensure access to care, enhance the quality of healthcare, and address health-related social needs, such as food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation barriers. Working with internal teams and community stakeholders helps promote the success of our

programs, prioritizing the critical roles of communication, budgetary needs, and collaboration with others.

As a father to three young daughters (#girldad) who are attending and learning in Oakwood, I am eager to extend my commitment and contribution to the education system that has a tremendous impact upon not only the students, but also their parents and guardians, extended family members, and the broader community. I’d bring to the team of the Board my professional experience in strategy development, budget administration, inclusive design, and equitable systems within education, community engagement, and healthcare administration.

I approach the open seat on Oakwood Schools Board with genuine commitment and am excited to offer my dedication to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging for all students. It is critical to ensure every student feels safe, seen, and supported to bring one’s whole self to best experience success. I will tap into Oakwood’s key strengths and promote accountability, community, and opportunity.

My experience within education, community engagement, and healthcare administration have provided me with the necessary interactions at the community level to have firsthand knowledge and feedback from individuals who are directly impacted by the policies and decision-making of those in leadership roles. I am passionate about supporting not only my childrens’ educational journeys, but also the students and families of others within our community. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I understand the value of diversity and the importance in having diverse representation of voices, experiences, and perspectives. I am pursuing a seat on the Oakwood School Board to support the needs of all students and effectively support school district staff and leadership. I am eager to devote my time and expertise in service to Oakwood Schools!