Candidate for
Member, City Council; City of Morro Bay

Building Bridges for the Future of Morro Bay

I want to ensure that the future of Morro Bay is every bit as wonderful as the Morro Bay where I grew up.

My grandfather and great-grandfather built their first house on Piney Way in the 1940's. My father was a commercial fisherman, so I spent almost every summer on the boat, fishing up and down the coast, from Morro Bay to Eureka. My mother worked as a waitress in local restaurants, including the Golden Tee and the Breakers. After completing high school and college back east, I returned to the central coast with my college sweetheart, my wife Diana, to raise our family here. Diana and I have two great kids, Hannah and Zoe, students at Morro Bay High School and Los Osos Middle School. I have lived over 35 of my 45 years here in Morro Bay.

I teach in the Lompoc Unified School District, and achieved National Board Certification nine years ago. Teaching is my passion and I come home smiling every day. I bring the same enthusiasm to youth sports, where I have coached my own children's Morro Bay Recreation Department teams for the last eight years. I also volunteer with the non-profit organization, Project Surf Camp in Morro Bay, allowing disabled children to enjoy ocean-based recreational activities. For the past two summers, PSC has also worked with the Morro Bay Recreation Department, allowing me to become more familiar with city government.

My community involvement covers a wide area of interest and community need. I joined the Public Works advisory Board six years ago and have served as its chairman for the past four. Working on that board solidified the concept of direct community service for me. I feel responsible for my city. Working with city staff and fellow board members, I learned to make informed decisions after considering the viewpoints of professionals and citizens. I understand the process for evaluating and funding infrastructure projects. The most important issues facing Morro Bay relate to infrastructure.

As I work with diverse groups in Morro Bay, from its oldest to its newest citizens, I see how important listening, reasoning and keeping an open mind are for making the important decisions that face us in the next few years. We are at a critical time in our development and bringing generations together is crucial to our success. I am uniquely suited to bridge the past and the future of the place I am proud to call home. I would be honored to serve the citizens of Morro Bay on the city council.