Who I Am

I am a Colorado native and a resident of Clear Creek County for over 12 years.  I have fallen in love with the county and the people that live here. I am running for commissioner so that this county can continue to be the place that I love.

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I may not be the spit and polish candidate that some people would expect.  My biography is not squeaky clean, but it is truthful and real.  Hopefully, those are qualities that you want in a commissioner.  There are things in my past I wish I could change. But I have found that some of our biggest mistakes in life can become our greatest life lessons.

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In 2006, I lost a house in the market collapse.  Having your home taken away from you is a feeling that I would not wish on my worst enemy. Two different times my wife and I were just hours away from being on the streets.  As it was, we spent 3 months sleeping on an air mattress in a friends living room.  Those experiences give me an empathy with many people who have not always had secure housing. For some reason, my wonderful wife stuck by my side through it all.  We slowly began to climb out of that hole even through hard times and setbacks over the next few years.

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In 2010, my wife Cheri and I got custody of our then 6 month old grandson and moved to Clear Creek County.  When we arrived there, we were living paycheck to paycheck and didn't even have any bank accounts.  I got a job as a waiter and have been doing that ever since. The income that I have earned by being a waiter has allowed me to provide my wife with the opportunity to be a stay-at-home Nana and raise our grandson for the last 12 years. Being in the restaurant industry over the past couple of years has given me a personal perspective of the devastation of the lock-downs.

Through hard work and the grace of God, we have prospered. In 2017 we moved into our new house in Empire. My wife and I built the house through Habitat for Humanity and we traded our rent for a mortgage. 

 Aside from doing a wonderful job taking care of the house, finances and raising Steven, Cheri is always reaching out to others. She has a special place in her heart for the homeless. Probably due in large part to our own experiences. She is always quick with a smile, a word of encouragement or a few dollars.  On more than one occasion she has even brought them home during bad weather, usually to my surprise.

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Somehow I have earned this wonderful woman's trust, and hopefully I can earn yours too.