I’m a lifelong Macomb County resident. I am proud to be from a family that had to work hard to make ends meet. My father is a retired pipefitter and my mother was a homemaker, school secretary and health unit clerk at a local hospital. The value of hard work was etched into my very existence. It is still what drives me today.
I attended Clintondale Community Schools from kindergarten to graduation. I learned that an education is the gateway to opportunity. I worked my way through school earning an Associate degree in General Business from Macomb Community College and a Bachelors degree in public relations from Wayne State University.
My wife, Sara, who is a teacher, and I work hard to support our family. We were married a little over 12 years ago. Together, we purchased our first home, a condo in Fox Chase at 16 Mile and Groesbeck. We later bought a home on Sarnette Street in Clinton Township. This is where we are raising our two daughters, Abigail, who nine years old and Sophia who is five.
Public service in my community has been a focal point. I first worked as an aide to former Congressman David Bonior, and then for State Senator Ken DeBeaussaert. Both are examples of dedicated public servants, widely respected for their hard work and commitment. I was honored to follow in that tradition when I was elected to serve in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1999-2004. I was elected to serve on the Macomb County Board of Commissioners in 2005. In 2009, I was elected to serve as the Chairman of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners, the position I currently hold.
In service to my community, I’ve worked to advance issues guided by some core beliefs.
Macomb County was a great place to grow up. The next generation should be able to say that. When I think about why I’m involved in public service, I think about what I want for my daughters. I want them to receive a quality education from our public schools. I want clean, safe and well kept neighborhoods. I want them to be able to swim in Lake St. Clair, canoe on the Clinton River or play in our parks, free from pollution. I don’t want them to have to struggle every day to pay for health care. I don’t want our community and our state to leave behind a mess for them to clean up. What I want for my children, I want for every child in our community.
Our community needs to care about those that came before us and respect their contributions. Many people worked hard to shape the community that we now live in. Many prospered. Some struggled. All deserve affordable access to health care, prescription drugs and a fundamental quality of life. Programs like those offered to seniors are important and help define who we are as a society that cares for each other.
A secure future requires vision, long-term thinking and a plan to compete in an increasingly competitive economy. The type of growth we experience as a community is based upon what we work to preserve and then attract. Helping our existing businesses diversify is key to our survival. We also need to expand our outreach around the globe. Both will help us attract investment and jobs. Keeping people here requires that we have an amenity-rich community with a high quality of life. Businesses, government, schools, families and groups must all work toward the goal of continuous improvement.
Government must continuously strive to earn the respect of those it is designed to serve. Elective office is a daily charge to balance community needs with the ability to meet them. To do so, government must lead by example, provide efficient services and be willing to embrace new ideas for change and reform.
Mostly, I remain focused on being accessible to you and all the residents who placed their trust in me to serve our community. I will continue to speak up, speak out and work to build a better community, a better Macomb County and a better Michigan.
