Why This Page Exists
If you are reading this, you are probably trying to make a serious decision about who should represent you. You might not agree with me. You might not even like some of the positions you have heard. That is fair.
What you deserve, at minimum, is a clear sense of how I think, what I value, and how that shows up when I vote, ask questions, or say no. This page is written for the thoughtful skeptic, not the superfan.
How I Got Here: Marines, Art School, Business, and a Busy Brain
I served in the Marine Corps, studied art, and earned an MBA. I also live with ADHD.
The Marines taught me that structure, chain of command, and clear responsibility matter. In a crisis, vague ideals do not move sandbags or coordinate people. You need systems, discipline, and accountability.
Art school taught me to question assumptions, notice what other people overlook, and accept that there are many valid ways to see the same scene. It also gave me an appreciation for stories, symbols, and the emotional side of community life.
Business school trained me to think in terms of systems, incentives, and trade offs. Numbers matter, but so do the rules and structures around those numbers.
ADHD means my brain does not always move in straight lines. I jump between patterns, see connections that are not obvious, and get restless with shallow answers. It can be a challenge, but it also pushes me toward deeper analysis and creative problem solving.
Put together, these experiences give me a mixed perspective: I take structure seriously, I question everything, and I care a lot about how systems actually work for real people in real places like Menasha.
Core Beliefs That Guide My Decisions
1. No one should have unchecked power over others.
I do not care if it is government, a corporation, a landlord, or a loud neighbor. When one person or group can quietly decide the fate of others without transparency or recourse, something is wrong. This is why I care about open meetings, clear processes, and making it harder for decisions to be made in the shadows.
2. We live in a world of abundance, but we often behave like we are in permanent scarcity.
At the local level, this shows up when we assume there is only one way to grow, only one way to fund projects, or only winners and losers. I look for ways to use what we already have better: underused buildings, overlooked talent, smarter coordination between city departments and community groups.
3. Community is not just something you protect, it is something you shape.
Being “pro community” is not only about safety and services. It is also about the stories we tell about ourselves, the spaces we build, and the norms we encourage. In practical terms, that can mean supporting public spaces where people actually meet, backing education and youth programs that build capability, and recognizing that caring for the environment is simply caring for where we live.
4. Change from the inside works better than dramatic rebellion.
I am skeptical of big, sweeping promises to “tear it all down.” Systems change slowly. As an alderman, that means learning how things actually function, then looking for pressure points where small, concrete changes can reduce waste, increase transparency, or give residents more voice.
5. Data should inform decisions, but values decide what we are aiming at.
I like numbers, trends, and evidence. But data cannot tell us what kind of city we want to be. That requires a conversation about values: fairness, safety, opportunity, dignity. I try to put both together before I vote.
What Is Genuinely Complicated Here
Freedom and limits.
I believe people should have wide freedom in their personal lives, especially around their bodies and their private choices. At the same time, I think there should be real limits on how much power or harm someone can accumulate, whether that is through money or influence.
There is no perfect formula here. Setting speed limits, zoning rules, or regulations on development always involves judgment. Too tight, and you choke off initiative. Too loose, and you invite abuse. On council, I try to ask: “Does this rule prevent one person from quietly harming many, without unnecessarily boxing in everyone else?”
Symbols and tribes.
People sort themselves into tribes. Flags, uniforms, political labels, even haircuts send signals. I am very aware that my Marine background, my art school past, and the way I look each trigger different assumptions.
I do not think tribal belonging is all bad. It gives people identity and support. But symbols can be twisted to divide neighbors and shut down thought. So I use those identities carefully, trying to build bridges rather than walls.
How I Handle Disagreement
Reasonable people will disagree with me on development, social policy, or spending priorities. That is normal.
If you come to me angry, I will still try to listen. If you present information that challenges my view, I will look at it. I am not interested in winning arguments for sport. I am interested in whether our systems are fair, transparent, and serving the people who live here.
You can expect me to explain how I arrived at a position, not to claim I have a monopoly on truth. You may walk away still disagreeing, but you should not walk away confused about why I voted the way I did.
What You Can Expect If You Vote For Me
If you give me your vote, here is what I can reasonably promise:
- I will push for decisions to be made in the open, with clear reasoning.
- I will look for ways to reduce quiet forms of domination, whether from government, business, or anyone else.
- I will focus on practical steps that move Menasha toward being a more caring, capable, future focused community, instead of chasing symbolic battles.
- I will treat disagreement as part of healthy democracy, not as proof that you are the enemy.
- I will keep asking hard questions about the systems we rely on, including my own assumptions.
You do not need to agree with every part of my philosophy to decide I am a person you can trust to think seriously, act transparently, and keep the long term health of this community in view. That is the standard I hold myself to.