About

A bit about me: In 2006, I moved to Lebanon County to marry Natalie Wolfe, who was born and raised here. My wife and I moved to Annville in 2007 and added three children to our family. I have been the district leader for Lebanon County District 8 (Annville-Cleona) since June of 2018, and I ran for Annville Township Commissioner in 2017. That year I also earned my PhD from Drexel University in educational leadership and learning technologies, with a focus on STEM education. Prior to that, I was a high school teacher – after a nearly 15-year stint in corporate software development. Since obtaining my PhD I have been working to use technology for learning, first as a researcher on a Philadelphia-based STEM outreach project and currently as an instructional designer for a business that provides services to individuals with autism.

My philosophy is focused on helping individuals. I think many issues are blamed on being simply “how the system works,” without acknowledging that “the system” is created by people. As such, it can be redesigned to provide equal access for all.

Un poco de mi: Vivo en el Distrito 102 con mi esposa y nuestros tres hijos. En 2017, yo me gradué de la Universidad de Drexel con un doctorado en liderazgo educacional y tecnología de enseñanza, con un foco en la educacion de STEM. Antes de eso, yo un maestro de secundaria – después de casi 15 años trabajando en el desarrollo de programas. Desde la obtención del doctorado, yo me he dedicado al uso de tecnología para el aprendizaje, primero como investigador en un proyecto de alcance de STEM en Filadelfia y como diseñador de desarrollo para beneficiar individuos con el autismo.

Mi filosofía se centra en ayudar a las personas. Creo que muchos problemas se atribuyen a ser simplemente “cómo funciona el sistema”, sin reconocer que “el sistema” es creado por personas. Como tal, se puede rediseñar para proporcionar un acceso igual para todos.

Specific issues

Working Families
A fair living wage
Strong unions
Paid family leave

Education
Bring technology into the classroom to prepare students for the future
Support, train, and pay teachers like professionals
Expand access to early childhood education
Reduce reliance on property taxes and fairly fund schools

Technology
Expand access to broadband internet technology
Foster partnerships with businesses to prepare workers for high-tech jobs
Create innovative workforce development solutions

Additional Priorities

Women’s reproductive rights: I’m a father of three children. My wife and I have also experienced the devastating loss of a molar pregnancy and multiple miscarriages. These experiences are incredibly painful, but working with the healthcare professionals and encountering misunderstandings – even by those closest to us – have informed my beliefs on this topic. I believe women should make their own decisions about their bodies in conjunction with their doctors. Most legislation I’ve seen on this subject has been written by men with no expertise in medicine or healthcare. I do support low/no cost access to contraceptives and evidence-based sex education programs, both of which have been shown to reduce abortions.
Equality: Recent events have refocused our national and local conversation around racism in America. The Black Lives Matter movement is bringing much needed attention to the inequities that still exist for Black Americans. You can read more of my thoughts in this Lebtown article. I’ve also applied to be a member of Lebanon’s newly created chapter of the NAACP, because I support the objective of achieving equality of rights and eliminating race prejudice against all races. In addition, I support efforts to protect members of the LGBTQ+ community and helped organize the first-ever LGBTQ+ colloquium in Lebanon County. Conversations and events that center these underrepresented/overlooked voices are important for our community to make sure everyone has a seat at the table.
Environment: It is imperative that we act to preserve our planet for future generations. Here in Lebanon County, clean water (including the storm water management/runoff programs) is important for our community, the state of Pennsylvania, and our neighbors. We have seen pipelines spring up throughout the county and across the state. Now we are seeing some negative impacts from those projects, and should carefully consider both how to resolve those issues and how to prevent them in the future. Finally, Pennsylvania and Lebanon County have some of the best farmland not just in the country, but in the world. Preserving as much of that farmland as possible should be a chief consideration.