The Formative Years
For a person like me there is a predictable future dictated by statistics and socioeconomic status. I know first hand that there are also possible futures that defy the predictable when communities invest in their youth and cause a future worth living into. I was born and raised in Salt Lake City as part of a mixed-race family of six, led by a single mother. We experienced deep poverty—and more than once, eviction and homelessness. My life trajectory began to shift when I joined the YouthWorks program at NeighborWorks Salt Lake and landed one of my first jobs in high school. My title was “Community Builder,” and it was just that—an opportunity that helped build the confidence and skills I needed to move forward while building homes for low-income families. The money I earned also helped to provide stability at home.
Having gone to 14 grade schools moving from apartment to apartment, the idea that the home I was building could allow a kid to grow up with security and stability lit a spark in me. It sparked a lifelong passion for service and advocacy. I would later become the first Board President of NeighborWorks Salt Lake who graduated from their youth program and was recognized with a national award from NeighborWorks America. The Dorothy Richardson Award recognized my impact in revitalization of my westside neighborhood and longstanding leadership in community advocacy.
It is because of the many people in my early years and even today that cared when they didn’t have to, that the very trajectory of my life changed, that I have a deep passion to help others find their own empowerment and together we can all make a difference. Dr. Martin Luther King wrote, “Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” My community work is rooted in the idea that we climb with the help of others and when given the power to do so we get to secure the ropes and create new paths for our fellow human. We must care about the circumstances of others as if they were our own because we are tied together along the same thread and have one tied destiny as a people.
The Early Adult Years: Starting a Family, Work and Community
I began college with a focus in finance but soon found myself gravitating towards the arts. My early life growing up without much money was telling me to use my math skills to work in the world of money, and my creative spirit was telling me I wanted to be a dancer, filmmaker, musician. My creative self won the tug-of-war pretty easily. I began learning Lindy Hop swing dance and soon started Swing City, my own business in my mid-twenties promoting music bands and providing swing dance nights at local clubs. I was certified as an instructor and also started a dance company that performed on some of Salt Lake City’s biggest stages. I would realize a film career while choreographing and performing on screen.
A popular TV show—Touched by an Angel—hired me to repair damage left behind by our crews, and I soon became the on-set locations supervisor, filling the role as liaison between the film crew and the public. While working there I began spending my summer and winter hiatus volunteering for YouthWorks. Reconnecting to my roots as a community builder, I began taking advantage of the many trainings provided by NeighborWorks America in cities across the country—observing models of public, private and nonprofit partnerships around housing and community services while taking community leadership and organizing trainings.
In this time I had started a family and I’m proud to say that I am a father of three wonderful men who are my greatest joy. With new babies at home I left the film industry and started working a 9 to 5 and becoming active in neighborhood issues—serving on community councils, neighborhood groups and advisory boards for three SLC mayors. It was while serving on the Capitol Improvements Board that I learned about the importance of municipal and county policy and how closely the rubber meets the road. I found that one person could make big differences, a small group could move mountains. I also found that the role—no matter how small or big—I needed to play inspired me and brought me a sense of belonging and purpose.
My passion for community work ballooned into national and local policy advocacy. I joined a team of people from dozens of states to help launch the Poor People’s Campaign and learned a great deal. In all that I’ve learned from these experiences, I’ve worked effectively with partners to tackle countless issues like convincing UTA and UDOT to put a TRAX Line on North Temple instead of their original idea of an express to the airport bypassing our neighborhoods on the Westside. And small issues like pushing for backup generators at our rec centers or investing in the Peace Gardens for much-needed repairs. Whether fighting for infrastructure investments, advocating for parks and public spaces, or helping secure improvements to community centers, I’ve always worked to ensure that people and neighborhoods across the city have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.
My Most Recent Years
With teenage boys at home, I finally had the flexibility to return to creative and impactful work professionally. That path led me to KRCL 90.9 FM, where I spent five years as host and associate producer of RadioACTive, a weekday public affairs show. I also served as the station’s Director of Civic Engagement, working to strengthen KRCL’s ties to the communities it serves.
During that time, I hosted or produced more than 1,250 episodes, turning the mic toward everyday Utahns tackling some of the state’s most urgent challenges—spotlighting Utahns tackling a wide range of community issues. From housing and environmental justice to public health, education, and criminal justice reform, and so much more, elevating grassroots leaders, nonprofits, public agencies, and everyday residents through in-depth interviews and storytelling—ensuring the experiences and solutions of diverse voices were heard, respected, and had the power to shape policy.
Next on my journey was the privilege of serving Utah’s diverse communities through my work at the ACLU of Utah.
As Campaigns Director, I had the honor of leading and supporting statewide efforts to protect civil liberties and advance justice on some of the most urgent issues facing our communities. I worked closely with grassroots organizers, community coalitions, and policy partners to push for reforms in criminal justice, voting access, racial equity, and beyond.
This work required both strategic vision and trust—building relationships across ideological and institutional lines, translating community needs into actionable policy, and organizing public campaigns that moved people to action. I helped shape legislative strategies, co-led the Let Utah Vote campaign, and co-founded Let Utah Read. I also partnered on dozens of issues, including reproductive rights, gender equity, the rights of unhoused people, immigrant justice, and Indigenous rights.
From grassroots advocacy at the Capitol to organizing town halls and standing with impacted communities, I saw firsthand how real change is built: through persistence, solidarity, and an unwavering commitment to equity. My time at the ACLU deepened my belief that public policy must be people-centered—and that bold, effective leadership starts by listening first, and acting with purpose.
Looking Ahead
I’m running for Salt Lake County Council to continue this work—empowering residents, bridging divides, and fostering thoughtful, inclusive policy making for all communities. Salt Lake County is growing rapidly, bringing both opportunity and responsibility. Voters deserve leaders who understand this balance.
My story is shaped by compassion and resilience, by a career rooted in public service and a commitment to the common good. It would be my honor to serve as your councilman for District 1.