About Me

My wife Sara and I relocated with our four young children to Rochester 5 years ago for Sara to pursue residency training at the Mayo Clinic.  Like every family, the primary consideration for us when we made the big move was finding the best place possible to raise our kids.  All four of our kids are enrolled in RPS schools, in grades K, 2, 5, and 7.  I recognize that our schools do best in partnership with engaged parents and community members.  I have enjoyed my time as a volunteer in education, helping with classroom reading, field trips, carnivals, fund raisers, and more.  I have also greatly enjoyed the time I have spent coaching soccer and baseball.  As a member of the Board of Directors of the Rochester Public School Foundation, I have been inspired by the creativity and passion of RPS staff to develop projects for innovative educational opportunities when they seek funds from the Foundation.  And I have been proud of my work with the Rochester Branch of the NAACP, where I am a proud member of the executive committee and have co-chaired the education committee since 2020.

I am a product of public education.  I grew up in Davenport, Iowa, where I attended Davenport Community Schools and graduated from Davenport Central High School.  Since then I lived in Iowa City, IA and Champaign, IL before moving to Rochester.  I received a B.S. from the University of Iowa, where I studied physics and astronomy.  I then went on to law school at the University of Illinois.  I am a lawyer admitted to practice in Illinois and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and  I have practiced intellectual property law for the past twelve years.  I am currently Associate General Counsel for intellectual property at the Nielsen Company, which I have done via telework for the past several years.