As a kid, I moved from place to place a lot. My dad would say "you're going to be a well-rounded person, and have the ability to walk into any room and be comfortable with the people there." I like to think my work experience fits the same model. Well-rounded, with the ability to communicate and work with people from all walks of life.I graduated from Columbia College in 2012 without an idea of what I wanted to do with my life. But serving in the Marine Corps had been a life long dream of mine, and I'm not ashamed to say I was sucked in by those cheesy "you can go to college and serve" commercials. So that's what I did, I joined the Marine Corps as an officer and finished out my term four years later having served as a Logistics and Operations Officer alongside some of our nation's finest. When I got out of the Marine Corps I found myself in jobs that didn't have meaning, didn't give me a purpose. They were just an avenue toward a paycheck. So I got involved in local politics; I wanted to continue to serve my community. I served on the Board of Directors of what was then called ACT Services, and was selected to represent my state senate district as a member of the Missouri State Democratic Committee. Eventually I ran for office, and I won! I was elected to the Columbia Public Schools Board of Education just as COVID conquered the world. I served an exciting three year term alongside some of Missouri's best, that included stints as the Board Policy Committee Chair and as President of the Board of Directors. It was a challenge to face your neighbors and tell them their kids had to move schools during redistricting, or to have to tell your own kids that daddy voted to close schools as COVID spread like wildfire. But challenges are just opportunities for growth, and I decided I needed to grow more. So I applied and was accepted into the Master of Public Administration program at the University of Pennsylvania, and I graduated with some of this country's future leaders in May 2023. I now work for the school district I represented as a board member, serving as the District's Operations Project Manager. But I also found a passion I truly love, serving as an Assistant Track and Field Coach at the high school where I ran track, Rock Bridge High School, (Missouri Class 6 Boys State Champions 2023), my favorite job❤️.My dad told me being well-rounded would make me a better servant-leader, and now, in my mid-30s, I understand what he meant. But the journey isn't over, and I'm always looking for the next challenge.
Listed skills include Military Experience, Military Operations, Security Clearance, Operational Planning, and 23 others.
