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About ME
Early Childhood
I was born in 1975 on the East Side of Saint Paul to 2-teenage parents (Mike and Sharon). I have an identical twin brother, Jeff, a younger brother, Keith, and a younger sister, Sandy. I lived with my dad and my stepmom, for the most part. We lived in a number of different places throughout Saint Paul, and I attended multiple Elementary Schools. My mom and dad, both, were union workers. My mom worked for a union printing company in MPLS, and my dad was a Teamsters Local 120 guy, retiring from Yellow Freight after 20 years in the union. My hard work ethic and drive to be the very best began at a very early age. I leveraged that hard work ethic as I played a ton of baseball and football at the community recreation centers and just loved being an 80's kid (Gen X'r).
My Teens and 20’s
My teen years were spent attending Johnson High School. There I played on multiple varsity sports teams and excelled in my math and science classes. I spent my free time working as a lifeguard and hanging out with my High School Sweetheart, Jennie (she's now my wife). I graduated in 1993 and dove straight into college. After a couple of false starts, I made the decision to drop out of college to work full-time.
In 1994 I tried to fulfill a childhood dream of mine by serving in the military, but that wasn’t to be. I had shoulder surgery early in 1994 and when I went through the medical screening my file was marked as “Disqualified” because it had not been enough time since my surgery and the doctors were not convinced that I was 100%. I was devastated! But I was not going to let that stop me forever.
In my twenties, I worked at a couple of union trucking companies. I worked on the docks at Yellow Freight in Burnsville and then left there to work for another trucking company, Georgia Pacific (GP) Lumber, in Maple Grove. While at GP, I earned my commercial driver's license and began to drive truck. I worked there for 4 years, got married and started a family.
In 2000 I became self-employed. For the next five years I delivered building materials to jobsites throughout MN and WI. In September of 2001, our world changed with the terrorist attacks on our Country. The housing market crashed; my business suffered. Inspired by my brother Keith, I decided to try again to enlist in the Army. Thankfully, I was accepted and joined the Army in 2006.
Nearly 17 Years of Military Service
At age 31, married, with four kids (one was just 5 days old) I left for Basic Training in July of 2006.
I enlisted as a Medical Laboratory Specialist, where I would test Clinical Lab samples from patients that had their blood drawn, or other things. I took full advantage of everything the Army would train me to do, or any school they allowed me to attend. I went to Airborne, Air Assault, and got my Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB). I was also named Soldier of the Month and Quarter, Noncommissioned Officer of the Month, Quarter, and Year, all the while taking college classes and being deployed to Iraq with the 28th CSH.
After completing my Bachelor's Degree from Thomas Edison State University in 2012, I applied for a Direct Commission into the Army Medical Service Corps as a Clinical Laboratory Officer and was selected to attend Basic Officer Leaders Course (BOLC) in January 2013.
In 2017, I was selected to attend a Master's Degree program in Health Informatics at the University of MN. After graduating in 2019, I was assigned to the Defense Health Agency in Falls Church, VA.
In March of 2020, I was assigned to the laboratory data team where we created the reporting mechanism for which all DoD laboratories around the world would report their daily COVID testing data and inventory. This information was then shared at the highest levels of the DoD at the Pentagon and used to make critical decisions for our fighting forces and their family members.
Unexpectedly, in 2022 I was diagnosed with cancer which is presumed to have been caused by exposure to the burn pits in Iraq. As a result, my military career was cut short, and I was medically retired in July 2023 at the rank of Major. I am healthy now and continue to monitor everything at the Mayo Clinic.
What's Next
I am not sure if you have heard, but I am running to be your Representative for Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Given that my Military Service was cut short, I still have the passion and drive to continue to serve my fellow Minnesotans, and my country.
I come from very humble beginnings and believe that I share many common sense views with the majority of Minnesotans. I want to be your voice in Washington, D.C. My leadership experience throughout my career and drive for innovative results, accountability, and transparency makes me the ideal candidate to reunite our state to ensure everyone's voices are heard and valued.
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