Home municipality
City of Verona
Home ZIP code
53593
Preferred pronouns
they/them, he/him
Verona is working hard to increase access to affordable housing. I appreciate that so many of my colleagues on the common council are of a similar mind that Verona is a great place where so many want to live, and it should be plausible for people who want to join this amazing community to find someplace in Verona to establish roots and have ample room to grow. We do a lot to encourage developers to build affordable housing, and we've explored ways to use city funds to help subsidize developments or purchase land with the intent of requesting proposals for affordable properties.
If Abraham Maslow were a city planner, his hypothetical hierarchy of needs for cities would place public safety, traffic, preservation of history, and nature conservation at the foundation of that hierarchy. However, development is important. Verona seems to grow at an ever-increasing pace, and there's an appetite for more places to live and ways to connect with our neighbors, grounding ourselves in the safety of our shared home. As a relative newcomer to Verona, I understand why so many want to live here; so, future development has a fine line to walk to preserve what makes Verona special.
I hear from long-term Verona residents that, with the growth the city's been experiencing, there's a valid fear of losing core tenets of what makes Verona such a desirable place to live. I get it! I moved here when I was hired by Epic. I chose to live in Verona because I have a family and want my daughter to have space to live, learn, and play. I'm here for work, but I'm also here running for election - because I want to contribute and make this community even better than I found it. From my perspective, Verona is great because the people here are kind - not the average tenure of its tenants.
I work at Epic as a software tester. I have a BS in Psychology. Before my education (and during), I taught music, and I worked in special education programs with children in elementary schools working to support kids with developmental delays or emotional disturbances. I am also a dad to the kindest kid you'll ever meet.
I am patient, curious, and analytical by nature. I am morally-minded and driven to understand how things work. Professionally, I poke holes in code and shepherd development projects to successful release. I believe this is an excellent fit for the types of work alders perform - I don't know everything there is to know about politics, but I do have a good head on my shoulders and a passion for doing things the right way.
