Welcome, and thank you for considering me as one of your votes for Chilliwack City Council.

Elections are important, and I believe a candidate should be considered based on their character, governance experience, life experience and their commitment and attachment to community.  In this coming election, don’t ask what a candidate will do once they get your vote, ask what they are already doing to earn it. 

I invite you to read more about me below, and why I believe I’ve earned your vote.

I was born and raised in Chilliwack, and some of my earliest memories are tied to the places that shaped this community. I attended Watson Elementary, Vedder Junior Secondary (Now Vedder Middle), and graduated from Sardis Secondary. I spent much of my childhood running around the CFB Chilliwack army base, and later attended the University of the Fraser Valley. Chilliwack was the backdrop to almost every stage of my early life.

In my twenties I moved to Vancouver to start my professional career and pursue opportunities that allowed me to learn about the world outside of Chilliwack. 7 years later, I came home to raise my family in the same community that had raised me, and I’ve been here ever since.

Coming back changed the way I looked at this city. Chilliwack has grown more complex, yet more beautiful –  and with seemingly limitless potential. I see it through the lens of someone who is excited and eager about what it could be. It is where my children are growing up, where I’ve built lifelong friendships, and where I increasingly feel a responsibility to contribute.

Professionally, I have spent much of my career as an entrepreneur and business consultant focusing on digital strategies. I founded and built a digital marketing consultancy and have had the opportunity to work with local small businesses, national companies and international organizations and brands including Doctors Without Borders, TELUS International and Disney Interactive. I currently consult for a foundation that produces  high profile nature conservancy fundraising events.

Running a business teaches you that good ideas are not enough. You have to understand your client, work though budgets, establish priorities, solve problems, adapt when circumstances change and ultimately be accountable for the results.

That experience has shaped the way I approach governance. I believe decisions should be supported by research, resources should be used carefully, and long-term planning matters.

Much of what I know about Chilliwack has come not from politics, but from volunteering.

Over the years I have been fortunate to be elected Chair of the School Board, co-chair of Chilliwack Healthier Community, and President of the Rotary Club of Chilliwack.

These experiences have allowed me to see Chilliwack from very different perspectives. I have chaired boards with budgets over $200M, making incredibly sensitive and important decisions in acrimonious settings. 

I’ve also worked alongside volunteers with boots on the ground, participated in numerous community projects and surveys, and listened to people navigating incredibly difficult circumstances.  

Current:

• President, Rotary Club of Chilliwack
• Co-Chair, Chilliwack Healthier Community
• President, Chilliwack Central Elem Community School
• President, Downtown Chilliwack Community Market
• Director, Chilliwack Hospice Society
• Volunteer, Snow Angels
• Volunteer, Bowls of Hope Starfish Program

Previous:

• Chair, Chilliwack School Board (2018 – 2022)
• Chair, UFV’s School of Computing External Advisory Board (2022)
• Vice President, Chilliwack Restorative Justice (2018)

Public service and business is important to me, but it isn’t my entire life.

I’m a dad of 4 incredible kids. Family is number one – whether we’re on a mountain biking trip or just working on some calculus homework, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than with my family.

I’m also a musician – I play in a jazz band called the Rotations. And I enjoy diving with my partner and the rest of my dive group, cleaning up our local waterways but mostly just having fun in the water.

Chilliwack has given my family and me an incredible place to call home. I couldn’t be more willing to give a little bit back. I am fully committed to performing the duties of Councillor at this table.  I am fully apprised of the details of the job, and I’m prepared to get to work on day one. 

If you’ve read this far, thank you. And please, consider voting for me for City Council in October, and put me to work for you.