My Story, Why I Choose to Serve
I've always believed there's a difference between living in a community and being part of a community. My story is about choosing the latter.
The Beginning
I’m a Las Vegas native. Like many young people trying to find their place in the world, I wanted to do something that mattered, something bigger than myself. That calling led me to serve in the United States Army. The military taught me discipline, sacrifice, and responsibility. But most importantly, it taught me something simple that still guides me today: when people are counting on you, you show up.
Into the Unknown
After my military service and completing my education, I was recruited to support operations for the U.S. Department of Defense and later the U.S. Department of State managing complex, multimillion-dollar government projects in high-risk areas around the world where the stakes were high and failure was not an option. Those experiences taught me something I carry into every Board meeting: real leadership is not about titles. It is about solving problems, building trust, and delivering results.
The Turning Point
In 2012, I made a decision that would change the direction of my life. I came home to Las Vegas. Not because the work abroad wasn’t important, but because I realized that everything I had learned about leadership, teamwork, and solving problems under pressure was needed right here in my own community. So I committed myself to serving in a different way.
Answering the Call to Lead
One issue kept rising to the top for me again and again, opportunity and the role that education plays in creating it. That’s what ultimately led me to run for the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents. Higher education transforms lives. It opens doors for first-generation students, working families, veterans, and young people who just need someone to believe in their potential. When Nevada voters trusted me with that responsibility in 2020, I made a promise to approach the role the same way I approached every mission in my life — with integrity, focus, and a commitment to results.
Today, I have the honor of serving as Chair of the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents. It is a responsibility I take seriously because the decisions we make today shape the opportunities available to Nevada’s students tomorrow.
The Work That Drives Me
Higher education is more than budgets and policies. It is about people. It is about the first-generation college student who never thought college was possible. The veteran transitioning into a new career. The working parent trying to build a better future for their family. Every decision I make at the Board table is made with those people in mind. That is the work that drives me every single day
Family and the Future
At the center of everything I do is my family. My wife Heather and I are raising our son Blake right here in this community. Being a father changes the way you see the world. It makes every decision feel bigger. You start asking yourself “What kind of community will my child grow up in?” And more importantly “What am I doing to help build it?” That question guides everything I do in public service, because the decisions we make about education today will shape Nevada for generations.
Why I Am Running Again
I am proud of what we have accomplished , but I know the work is not finished. Nevada’s students still need a Regent who will fight to make college affordable, expand access for those who have been left behind, keep our campuses safe, and connect higher education to the jobs and opportunities driving Nevada’s future forward. Public service has never been about politics for me. It is about responsibility. It is about showing up when it matters.
I am not someone who believes in sitting on the sidelines waiting for change to happen. Every chapter of my life, soldier, project manager in high-risk environments, mentor, father, community advocate, and Board Chair has led me to the same belief: communities thrive when people take ownership of them. I’d like another two years to complete the work I’ve started and I’m asking for your vote to allow me to do just that.
"Higher education is not a privilege. It is a pathway. And every Nevada student deserves one."