Welcome to our website and thanks for coming to learn more. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity because our community has given so much to me.

I was born in Bronson Hospital, where my own son arrived just a few months ago. Home was a small, ranch-style house in the Westwood neighborhood. Mom was a single-parent who taught in the Kalamazoo Public Schools for more than thirty years. Growing up on a teacher’s salary meant little money after the bills were paid. Back-to-school shopping was a visit to the used clothing store and the only cash for college was what I saved working part-time jobs. But mom always made ends meet and gave everything so her two boys would have a shot at life. I was blessed to have her.

I was also blessed to grow up in this community. I was blessed to attend the Kalamazoo Public Schools and learn from incredible teachers who pushed me to be everything I could be. I was blessed with a wonderful church in Portage that cared for our family when times were tough. I was blessed with countless summer opportunities for kids: the Boy Scouts, day camp at the Nature Center, reading contests at the library. And I was blessed when the Kalamazoo Lions Club sent me off to college with a scholarship and the Portage Rotary Club later sponsored me for a year of study abroad.

My story is just one that reflects the hope this community offers. We’re a community that wants every child to reach their God-given potential. We’re a community filled with opportunity. And we’re a community that rewards hard work. That’s why Kristin and I are raising our family here.

But we’re also a community whose success is threatened by Michigan’s worst economic crisis in decades. We’ve weathered the storm better than others, but we feel the pain. Sadly, the politicians are more often part of the problem than part of the solution. More than ever we need a leader in the 20th District committed to rebuilding Michigan’s economy and creating jobs, strengthening education, and reforming government so we can trust it again. Most of all, we need a leader with the moral courage to stand up for the common good. I look forward to talking with you in the months ahead about my vision for a renewed Michigan.