Professional Experience
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from the University of Florida.
Educational Qualifications
I am a small business owner, artist, designer, conservation communicator, and community advocate. My work has focused on helping organizations communicate complex land, water, wildlife, and planning issues clearly to the public.
Campaign Phone
8632252832
I’m running because Polk County needs practical, forward-looking leadership before growth decisions are made, not after residents are left with the impacts. My first priority is protecting drinking water by planning around aquifer recharge, wetlands, water demand, and long-term supply. Second, I support resilient planning that evaluates the full cost of growth on roads, drainage, emergency services, rural communities, and public budgets. Third, I will push for infrastructure accountability so growth pays its fair share, impact fees are transparent, and funds are directed back to the communities most strained by growth, while protecting Polk’s land, farms, wildlife corridors, and community character.
A major challenge facing Polk County is reactive growth. Too often, large projects are reviewed as isolated parcels instead of being evaluated for cumulative impacts on roads, drainage, water demand, emergency services, schools, nearby annexations, rural communities, and long-term public costs. I would support a stronger whole-impact review for major projects, clearer standards for high-impact uses, better county-city coordination, and transparent impact fee tracking so infrastructure dollars are prioritized near the communities most strained by growth.
Preparedness starts before the storm. Polk should strengthen drainage and floodplain planning, protect wetlands and aquifer recharge areas, and use green infrastructure that naturally reduces flooding and improves water quality. New development should be planned with resilient roads, utilities, emergency access, fire/EMS capacity, and shelter needs in mind. I would also support stronger evacuation coordination, emergency communication, and special attention to seniors, people with disabilities, and rural residents. Resiliency should guide land-use, infrastructure, and budget decisions year-round.
Polk can grow without losing what makes it Polk, but only if development is planned around drinking water, infrastructure, workforce needs, and community character. I support directing growth near existing services, requiring major projects to address roads, drainage, utilities, and public safety up front, and using Rural by Design standards so rural areas are planned with buffers, open space, conservation design, and infrastructure limits in mind. I also support voluntary PDR/TDR tools that help protect farms, wetlands, recharge areas, and wildlife corridors while respecting property rights. Economic development should strengthen local communities without shifting long-term costs onto residents.
Housing affordability is more than home prices. It includes wages, transportation, taxes, insurance, utilities, and how far people must live from jobs, schools, and services. I support a wider mix of housing near existing infrastructure, including infill, ADUs, cottage homes, duplexes, and small-scale neighborhoods that fit Polk’s communities. I would also support workforce housing partnerships, homelessness prevention, mental health and recovery services, and stronger coordination among county, nonprofit, and faith-based providers.
Professional Experience
Business owner and rancher. County Commissioner since 2018.
Educational Qualifications
Graduate of Bartow High School
Campaign Phone
863-559-2794
I am running for re-election as County Commissioner, Dist, 2 for the purpose of continuing my service to the citizens of Polk County by using the vast experience and knowledge I’ve gained during my time in office to make the best decisions possible for a positive future for everyone.
During my time in office, I’ve come to fully understand how state legislative policies and mandates affect our decisions in county government. I have forged a good line of communication and a working relationship with our local legislative delegation, as well as, with our local city officials allowing me to be effective immediately upon re-election.
Due to Polk County’s central location and proximity to the I-4 Corridor, population growth is a challenge and managing the housing and infrastructure needs to handle the growth while at the same attempting to preserve rural lands and protect environmentally sensitive areas is a challenge.
I would address these problems by voting to adopt a new Comprehensive Plan as long as that plan would offer the BOCC guidelines that address the unique challenges of being one of the fastest growing areas in the nation. I would support a plan that does not completely hinder growth and economic opportunities, but that does give us a common sense way to allow growth at a more manageable pace.
I believe Polk is doing a great job in our emergency planning and preparedness. However, in an effort be sure our plans and procedures are optimal, I certainly support exploring changes that our emergency managers and staff might deem necessary for improvement of our efforts in emergency preparedness and funding increases towards that end, if necessary.
I welcome businesses that offer quality jobs that support residents with a quality of life that Polk County is known for. Polk enjoyed good jobs in industries that are no longer able to survive. We must accept new solutions for economic health in our communities. Impact fees are crucial to ensure infrastructure keeps up.
Compatibility is key when considering proposed development. I will continue to prioritize preserving community character in my decision making, while also following the Comprehensive Plan. I protecting our natural resources, especially water. If reelected, I hope to continue as Chairman of the Conservation Lands Acquisition Selection Advisory Committee and continue acquiring environmentally sensitive properties.
Jobs. Simply put, jobs that pay good livable wages are the answer to some of the housing affordability issues. It’s for this very reason that Economic Development is such a priority.
However, to address current and ongoing needs we have current programs that we need continue utilizing as active solutions… the State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP)….the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) etc. and Community Redevelopment Agencies are among some of the agencies that we need to continue supporting that are instrumental in meeting needs. I will also strive to continue to have good working relationships with our various community corporate partners, the many charities and ministries as we tackle the issue.
