Professional Experience
The water has been a theme throughout my career. From the marine industries, working as a charter fishing captain, guide, and instructor after earning my U.S. Coast Guard Captain's License at age 20 to managing West Marine’s fishing department today. I also currently own & manage real estate investments in Stuart. I served as a Stuart City Commissioner (2018 - 2022) and Mayor (2021 – 2022), where I focused on protecting Stuart's quality of life and representing the city on regional transportation and planning boards. Today, I continue serving as President of Indian Riverkeeper, on the River’s Coalition governing board and on the County’s Environmental Lands Oversight Committee, protecting our waterways and natural resources.
Education
Bachelor's degree in Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology from the University of Colorado Boulder
Campaign Phone
772-233-8406
My record of public service, professional experience, and lifelong commitment to this community uniquely qualify me to serve as Stuart City Commissioner. I previously served on the City Commission from 2018 to 2022 after serving on the Local Planning Agency. I also represented Stuart on the Martin Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Tourist Development Council.
Today, I serve as President of the Indian Riverkeeper, on the Rivers Coalition governing board, and as Vice Chair of the Environmental Lands Oversight Committee, which oversees the voter-approved Martin County Forever conservation initiative that I helped create. More than 3,000 acres have already been permanently protected through this program.
Home rule is essential because decisions affecting Stuart should be made by the people who live here, not by Tallahassee. Local officials understand our community's priorities, infrastructure, and environmental needs better than one-size-fits-all state policies. As Commissioner, I will work with our legislative delegation, partner with other local governments, and use my established relationships to advocate for local decision-making. When state actions conflict with our community's interests, I will ensure residents' voices are heard and pursue every appropriate avenue to protect Stuart's future.
Before discussing cuts, we need to know what changes the Legislature adopts and whether replacement funding is provided. In the meantime, we should educate residents about the services property taxes support and the potential impacts of reducing that revenue. If funding is reduced, I would first seek efficiencies while protecting essential services like public safety, infrastructure, and utilities. Any decisions should be made transparently, with public input and a long-term focus on maintaining the quality of life that makes Stuart a great place to live.
Addressing homelessness begins with expanding affordable housing and strengthening partnerships. I support working closely with the Stuart Housing Authority and organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, House of Hope, and LAHIA to create more housing opportunities. During my time on the Commission, the City donated land to Habitat, helping families achieve homeownership. I also support streamlining permitting for small-home projects that connect nonprofits, contractors, and qualified residents. By reducing barriers and encouraging collaboration, we can create practical, lasting solutions for those in need.
Protecting our waterways requires both regional and local action. I will continue advocating to eliminate harmful Lake Okeechobee discharges while supporting Everglades restoration and the projects that improve water quality. Locally, I support expanding living shorelines, rain gardens, and other nature-based solutions that reduce pollution. I also helped advance Stuart's septic-to-sewer conversion and the voter-approved Martin County Forever conservation initiative. Protecting our rivers and lagoon is essential to our environment, economy, and quality of life, and I will continue making it a top priority.
Professional Experience
Owner and operator of a nationwide IT, cybersecurity, and compliance company serving autism therapy providers. Earlier career experience in municipal operations, including the private-sector side of municipal sanitation contract negotiations. Has served on community and organizational boards. First-time candidate for public office.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration
Campaign Phone
772-245-0460
I'm a Stuart guy. I've called Martin County home for 20+ years and lived inside the city since 2015, raising my daughter here. She's the reason I'm doing this. I grew up in Jupiter watching South Florida get paved over, and I don't want Stuart to become the next overgrown, fee-based Florida city.
I run a nationwide IT, cybersecurity, and compliance company, so I understand budgets, operations, and playing by the rules. Earlier I worked the private side of municipal contracts and saw how local government really works. I've served on boards but never held office. I'm not a career politician.
I also run differently: donations capped at $100, nothing from developers, PACs, or the Chamber. When I vote, I'll only owe the folks who live here.
Decisions about Stuart should be made in Stuart, by the people who live with the results. I come at it through property rights, not just the developer asking for a change. When you buy a home here, you buy it based on the rules that exist. So when the state or county starts overriding those rules, my job is to protect everyone affected, not just one applicant or agenda.
We're seeing it now through the property-tax amendment headed to November's ballot that would reshape how the city funds basic services, and state laws chipping away at our say over our own growth. As commissioner, I'll defend Stuart's right to plan its own future and push back, firmly and respectfully, when an outside agenda doesn't fit our town.
People are stretched thin, and wanting property-tax relief is understandable. But I'll be straight: when the state takes away a revenue source, the cost of running a city doesn't vanish. It shifts.
If Amendment 3 passes, Stuart will have less funding for the things nobody wants cut like police, fire, clean water, roads, drainage. The wrong answer is quietly backfilling it with a pile of new fees or letting services slide and hoping nobody notices. The right answer is honest math: protect core services first, be transparent about every tradeoff, and never push the burden onto residents through the side door. I won't pretend it's free, and I won't fearmonger. I'll plan for it and tell you the truth.
This is a real human issue, and it deserves more than a slogan. I recently rode along with Stuart PD, and what stuck with me is that our officers know our non-transient unhoused neighbors by name. These are people, not a statistic. Any honest approach starts there.
It also sits under state law: Stuart can't simply allow public camping, and can be sued if it doesn't enforce that. The real work is upstream. We need to support the attainable housing that keeps working people from ever falling into crisis, and partner with the county, nonprofits, and groups like CareerSource Research Coast. A city our size doesn't solve this alone. I'd rather tell you what's workable than promise what isn't.
The river and lagoon are why people love it here. Once that water's gone bad, you don't get it back. That's a big reason I'm running.
We keep hearing promises to protect the river, then watching approvals get rubber stamped. Costco, a marina, CubeSmart, thousands of new apartments. More density means more runoff into the river we all say we're protecting. You can't have it both ways.
The real fix is regional: finish Everglades restoration and the EAA reservoir so Lake O water flows south, not into the St. Lucie and lagoon. Locally, a commissioner controls real levers to protect our wetlands and mangroves, stop approving development that adds more runoff, keep moving septic-to-sewer. Clean water isn't partisan. It's the whole ballgame.
