Position/philosophy statement
Support our emergency personnel. Restore accountability to Town Hall. Strengthen our vibrant downtown. Invest in our children. By focusing on these priorities and working together, we can build a stronger Black Mountain for generations to come.
Current Occupation
Nonprofit Technology Consultant; Local Small Business Owner
Age (optional)
53
Campaign Phone
828-337-7377
Black Mountain is home. I've lived here most of my life, and this town has shaped me. I’m a local business owner. I'm raising my family here—and I believe our brightest days are ahead when we work together.
1) Support the police officers, firefighters, and emergency personnel who protect our neighbors and respond when our community needs them most.
2) Restore fiscal responsibility and accountability to Town Hall so every taxpayer dollar is managed with care, transparency, and common sense.
3) Strengthen and preserve our vibrant downtown—the local gathering place and the character that makes Black Mountain unique.
Black Mountain has been through a lot. We cannot change what has already happened, but we absolutely can decide what kind of leadership and community we want going forward.
A short-term plan is finally taking shape to provide our first responders with a functional (though less than desirable) place to work for the next 2–3 years.
Building and leading businesses has taught me that temporary fixes are sometimes necessary—but they’re not a substitute for a long-term plan. Our first responders and taxpayers deserve a realistic plan for getting where they want to be.
The steps I will take, together with our community, to achieve this goal: 1) gain complete understanding of the issues -- past and present; 2) identify the 5- and 10-year goals; 3) develop a plan for getting there; and 4) execute. I've done this before. And I believe that experience matters. That’s the kind of leadership I’ll bring to Town Council.
Throughout my years owning and leading small businesses in Black Mountain—from the Ale House and Black Mountain Brewing to the RailYard and PubCorps—I’ve learned that culture matters.
We always worked to create places where people felt welcome, were treated with kindness and respect, and knew that we genuinely appreciated them.
One of my greatest lessons came from my father, a lifelong Presbyterian minister: Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Over the past several years, I’ve attended countless Town Council meetings, and I believe we can do better at bringing that simple principle to Town Hall. Town Hall should be a place where citizens feel welcome. Where questions are met with answers. Where disagreements don’t make us enemies. And where residents and business owners are treated as partners in making Black Mountain better. If elected, I’ll work to create a culture at Town Hall where we listen, welcome people, treat each other with respect, and work together.
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