My family moved to Port Angeles in the early 1990s. My father, a Marine Corps veteran, was drawn to the natural beauty and pace of life on the Olympic Peninsula. My mother, also a Marine Corps veteran, raised three kids and volunteered in the community. Some of my earliest memories are tagging along while she coached softball at Lincoln Park and basketball at Stevens Middle School.
We grew up in apartments, duplexes, and a trailer before my parents qualified to buy their first home through a low-income, first-time homebuyers’ program. I remember visiting the construction site, taking pictures to document the progress. The day we moved in, everything mattered: hanging fixtures, painting rooms, planting a garden. It was our first yard. That experience has never left me.
I joined the Navy in 1998 and served aboard the USS Carl Vinson. I later qualified as a Special Warfare Combat Crewman and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism. I am proud of that service, and of the men and women I served alongside.
When my enlistment ended, I came home to Port Angeles and began a career in law enforcement. For the past 20 years, that work has meant the same thing my military service did: showing up for the community, working alongside dedicated public servants, and trying to make things better for the people around you.
I also wanted to serve outside of my uniform. I spent two years on Clallam County’s Homelessness Task Force and four years on the City of Port Angeles Parks and Recreation Commission. I currently serve on the boards of the Peninsula Dispute Resolution Center and Habitat for Humanity. Last year, I was elected to the Clallam County Charter Review Commission. These roles have given me a close view of the challenges facing families and communities across the 24th District: housing costs, public safety, access to services, and the health of our shared public spaces.
Those challenges don’t resolve themselves in city halls or county seats alone. Many of them trace back to decisions made in Olympia: how the state funds schools and housing programs, how it supports rural communities and working families, how it balances growth with the character of places like ours. That’s why I’m running for state house.
I live in Port Angeles with my family. My daughter is my hiking partner and will be starting high school soon. My son recently returned to the Peninsula after seven years in the Air Force; he and his family are navigating the same job and housing pressures that too many young families here face. I know this place, and I know what’s at stake for the people who call it home.
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