Like many Miami-Dade residents, I came here from somewhere else. I was born in Baltimore and grew up in Northern Virginia, where my parents taught me to work hard, stand up for yourself and others, and to never forget that success often comes not with a handout, but a with a HAND UP! After graduating from Penn State, I got an officer’s commission in the United States Marine Corps in 1993, and served all over the world (including three combat tours in Iraq) until coming to Miami in 2012 for my final assignment (U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South). 

After retiring from the Marines in 2016, I felt compelled to continue to serve in a different capacity. I began to volunteer to inform, engage, and mobilize voters in my community as a precinct captain and the president of a political organization; all while studying for a PhD in International Relations. When other Miami community advocates asked me to step up against corruption and lead the TAKE BACK OUR CITY PAC in 2020, I did so without hesitation. When I served as a legislative aide in the Florida House and earned my PhD in 2023, I learned just how much politics and the economy are linked. And as a regional field director for multiple election campaigns in 2024, I learned the importance of outreach in underserved communities.