I was born and raised outside Chicago, Illinois, the middle child of three boys. My father is an attorney, and my mother is a public school teacher. I attended local public grade school, then received a Jesuit education for high school and college, with an undergraduate English degree from Boston College. I also received my Masters in Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. Through my family as well as my education, I was taught that service for others was core to a valuable life. As the product of public and private education and raised by a mother who taught in the Chicago public schools for decades, I believe that a quality free education is a fundamental right.
Professionally, I am a veteran of the online travel industry for the last 18 years, motivating teams to accomplish clearly identified goals. I currently hold an executive leadership role at Sojern, a data-driven performance marketer for 6,000 travel brands worldwide. Prior to Sojern, I held numerous marketing and general management roles at startups, and launched the hotel business for Orbitz, the online travel agency. Previous to following my love for travel, I pursued my passion for outdoor adventure, serving as marketing director for Patagonia.
I have lived in Sausalito for 12 years with my wife and 3 daughters, ages 8, 11, and 13. They all attend our local public charter school, and I believe every child deserves what I want for my 3 girls - the opportunity to learn in a diverse, inclusive, and caring environment no matter where you live or where you are from.
My passion for equal opportunity in public education has fueled my decade-long dedication to our local school system, which teaches hundreds of low income and English learners every day. Even before any of my kids were in school (and before two of them were born), I began volunteering on the board of Willow Creek Academy, our district’s public charter school which was created by local residents with a mission to bring great free education to a long-time failing district. Fast-forward 10 years, Willow Creek has grown 3-fold to 410 students, and now educates the majority of all public school students in Marin City and Sausalito, including over 50% of all low-income students.
At the same time, I have seen the absence of a cohesive vision and approach on the elected District Board hamper the success of our district overall. I want to bring my experiences to help serve all our District’s students. Specifically:
Hands-on Experience: With a decade of service on the Willow Creek Academy Board, I have a track record of helping our school community grow, developing balanced school budgets that prioritize in-classroom spending, and supporting an engaged, passionate team of school leaders, teachers, and staff focused on student success. In my professional life as an executive in dynamic growth companies, I have helped new businesses successfully scale into established companies by aligning people and resources to achieve a common goal. This puts me in a unique position to identify opportunities for improvement and champion resources to address time-sensitive issues.
Bridge Building: My involvement in public education has equipped me not only with the knowledge necessary to hit the ground running but helped me develop relationships at the county office of education, and among local educators, school leaders, and Sausalito/Marin City community members, that will allow me to build bridges across differing perspectives.
Education Passion: Finally, I am passionate about public education. In the role of District Board member, I will be able to leverage my boundless energy, belief and experience to help our District reach its potential to give every child a great chance to learn in our beautifully diverse community.
As someone who has been involved in a school that educates students from every corner of our community, I can tell you it is not easy to support disparate needs. But it is also not as hard as people think. In the end, we have found that students need a few things:
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Caring and dedicated teachers and staff that believe in them and provide consistent curriculum.
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Diverse resources, programs and support systems to serve their academic, social and emotional needs
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An inclusive culture that sets high expectations for all kids, holds them accountable, and helps them get up when they fall down.
There is no doubt in my mind that, with committed, capable leaders on the District Board, we can make that happen. That is why I’m not only running, but I’m running with two other proven leaders, Josh Barrow and Jen Conway, who share my vision and approach for the District.
