Candidate for
Council Member; City of Cincinnati

I was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio over 10 years ago. I am the first from my family to enter politics and am doing so because I believes in public service. My background is that of a typical middle-class working family that has always had a commitment to community and neighborhood.

Younger Years: My grandfather and father work in Youngstown's local steel mills as machinists and were members of the United Steelworkers Union at Wean United. My father went on to work in the mailroom at Youngstown Sheet & Tube Steel while attending college at Youngstown State University. My mother went back to school when I was in first grade to pursue a degree in education and has spent her career teaching in the local public schools. My parents still live in the same house they moved into in 1975.

My family has included steelworkers, machinists, janitors, restaurant and tavern owners, and teachers. I know what it means to be committed to where you live and the value of hard work. My father made sure he worked at a steel service center to save money for college. I also worked part-time in retail to earn additional spending money in college. I took this lesson to heart and worked diligently during my time in school. I graduated summa cum laude from Ohio University in 1995. I then obtained my law degree from Capital University Law School in 1998.

Early Professional Years: I first visited Cincinnati in 1995 and was instantly hypnotized with the beauty and opportunity of this magnificent city. Upon completing law school in 1998, I moved to Cincinnati and began my legal career clerking for the Honorable Arthur M. Ney, Jr. of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. I then worked as an Associate with Rendigs, Fry, Kiely & Dennis, LLP and Buckley King, LPA. My area of expertise was civil defense litigation with particular emphasis on construction matters. I am now a Partner with The Drew Law Firm Co., LPA.

In 2005, I was recognized by Law and Politics Magazine as a Rising Star, Ohio Super Lawyer. In 2007, I was selected to participate in the Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers (CALL Class XI).

Cincinnati Community Activities: I have been involved with the Fine Arts Fund's Business Volunteers for the Arts program. Through this program I began working with Know Theatre of Cincinnati where I participated on the theater's Fundraising Committee and was active in the selection of the theater's new location at 1120 Jackson Street. My energetic involvement and solid contributions led to the Know Theatre's Board selecting me as President of its Board of Directors in 2006. In May 2007, I was honored to be elected to a second term as President, and remain on the Board today.

I have also served on the Steering Committee of The Urbanists, a grassroots organization of concerned citizens who share his vision of a revitalized Cincinnati. In 2004, I was selected to serve as the leader of The Urbanists where I formed lasting ties with civic, political and community leaders throughout the city. During this time I facilitated presentations concerning redevelopment of Fountain Square and Over-The-Rhine.

I have also been active with the Cincinnati Art Museum's Taste of Duveneck Committee, the Taft Museum of Art and the Mercantile Library's Niehoff Lecture XX Committee.

On a frigid day last November (and the same day as the Ohio State v. Michigan football game), I helped rebuild a city playground at Owl's Nest Park in East Walnut Hills.

I remain active with the Hamilton County Republican Party and presently serve as co-chair of its Leadership Council and serves on the Board of the Eastside Republican Club.

Other Interests: I ran the 2005 Flying Pig Marathon with Team In Training while raising money for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. I have also been active with the Pro-Kids Run, sponsored by the Cincinnati Bar Association.

I developed a passion for the environment when I climbed Mt. Rainier in September of 2007.

More recently, I presented "How to Prevent Potential Hazards of Green Design" to design professionals learning about the emerging "green" industry in this region and wrote an article on "green restaurants" for a trade publication.

In May of 2008 I married Sarah Gay. We now live in Hyde Park/Oakley and just welcomed our daughter, Sally, in June.