About me

Family

I was born in Maryland and moved to Frederick when I was four years old. Frederick was a wonderful place to grow up. I have many great memories from my childhood in Frederick County like trips to Freeze King after little league games, soccer games and swimming lessons at the YMCA on Market Street, Keys games on hot summer nights at McCurdy Field and Harry Grove Stadium, 4th of July fireworks in Baker Park, and going to the Great Frederick Fair every September.

Now my wife and I are raising our kids here and I hope to create many of the same Frederick memories with them. My wife and I met when we were children growing up only blocks away from each other. We started dating in high school when we both worked at Jerry's Subs & Pizza on Buckeystown Pike. We attended college together at the University of Maryland and got married a few years after we graduated. We are blessed with two beautiful daughters named Julia (4) and Emma (18 months).

Education

I have a bachelor’s degree in Government & Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Experience

In 2002, I ran for the Maryland House of Delegates and was fortunate enough to be elected. It was an honor to represent District 3A in the legislature from 2003 to 2006 and I’m very proud of my accomplishments for the citizens of Frederick County.

• I worked with former Governor Ehrlich to make state government more efficient and turned an inherited $4 Billion budget
  deficit into a nearly $2 Billion surplus
• I helped to successfully block $7.5 Billion worth of proposed new tax increases
• I brought back increased funding for school construction and road projects in Frederick County
• I took the lead on many environmental issues to protect our precious natural resources
• I passed legislation to require tougher sentences and closer supervision of child sexual predators.
• I sponsored legislation to allow Frederick County to offer a property tax break to seniors on a fixed income
• I helped create a Research & Development and Biotechnology Tax Credit to help stimulate this growing industry in
  Frederick County

I served on the following committees while in the legislature.
 
Environmental Matters Committee
Ethics subcommittee
Environment subcommittee
Housing & Real Property subcommittee
Natural Resources subcommittee
Agriculture, Agriculture Preservation & Open Space subcommittee
Land Use subcommittee
 
I was appointed by the Speaker of the House to serve on the Maryland Task Force on Business-Owner Compensation in Condemnation Proceedings.

I was also a member of the Maryland Rural Caucus, the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus, and the Maryland Veterans Caucus.

While I was in the House of Delegates, I also worked as a real estate agent with my family's business while the legislature was not in session.

After serving in the legislature, I joined the staff of the YMCA of Frederick County as Director of Charitable Giving where I have worked for the last four years. The YMCA is a great organization and working there has allowed me to continue serving the community that I love.

Other Community Activities

Member, Rotary Club of Frederick

Member, Saint Katherine Drexel Parish, Frederick, MD

Board of Trustees, Saint Johns Catholic Prep High School, Frederick, MD

Member, University of Maryland Alumni Association, College Park, MD

Volunteer, Volunteer Frederick's Big Sweep

Board of Directors, Friends of Catholic Education of Frederick County

Advisor, Frederick High School Interact Club

Board of Directors, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Washington, DC (2003-2004)
• Worked toward cooperative solutions to regional Transportation, Health, Environmental, and Housing & Planning issues