About Me
My background
I've lived in the Wenatchee valley for most of my life.
For the first few years after high-school I worked in construction, mainly hanging drywall. Then I joined the Navy and after that I went to ITT Peterson School of Business to learn computer programming. After getting my degree, I had to hang drywall again for a couple of years while I persistently bugged the only software company in Wenatchee at that time to hire me. I could have gotten a programming job in Seattle much sooner but I wanted to live here. One of my goals is to bring more high tech businesses to Douglas County so our young people don't have to leave to get a job in their chosen profession.
I've been a computer programmer for over 35 years now and have had my own software development business for over 30 years.
I never would have thought I would ever be an elected official. I'm not a politician, and I don't want to be a politician. I'm just a regular guy that happens to hold a political office.
I had a neighbor that was on the city council and for years he bugged me every time there was an open position to apply for it. The last time he asked, I again told him no thanks but later I got to thinking about it and realized that as a council member I would be one of five people that make the decisions for Rock Island. I realized I could actually have an influence on my local government, so I applied. The council selected me for the position and over the next five years I learned that, sometimes, just one voice of reason can actually stop a bad idea from being adopted. It can also get a good idea implemented. I did both while I was on the council.
After five years on the council I felt that the city was not really being run for the benefit of the people, so I decided to run for Mayor. Obviously I won and it's been a very interesting learning experience. While the snail pace of getting things done in government is often frustrating, it's also been a rewarding experience creating a great team of city employees that treat the people the way they deserve to be treated and leading Rock Island through it's greatest rate of growth since the city was founded.
I've always considered it a great honor and privilege to get to represent the people of Rock Island and would feel the same way about being a Douglas County commissioner.
My top goals
My main goal is to do for the County what I've done for Rock Island.
First and foremost, ensure that all County employees are focused on, and actually deliver, great customer service for the citizens and businesses they deal with.
Expand our local economy by continuing to attract new businesses.
Help address the housing shortage in the region by working with developers to get new homes built.
Ensure that we are balancing revenues and expenditures to keep the County in good financial shape.
My involvement
One thing I don't think most people realize is that when you elect someone as a Mayor or County Commissioner, you are also electing that person to be a board member of a fair number of other public agencies.
So not only are they leading the agency they were elected to, they are also overseeing and selecting and directing the general manager of those organizations. Organizations such as; Link Transit, Chelan Douglas Health District, Town Toyota Center, Chelan Douglas Transportation Council, and many others.
The point is, whoever you elect will have an influence on far more organizations than just the one you elected them to.