While I’ve lived in New Jersey for most of my adult life, I am originally from western Pennsylvania, where I was fortunate to attend a great public school system. I then attended SUNY Buffalo, where I majored in Urban & Public Policy Studies.

After graduating, I became a teacher to have a positive impact on my community. Teaching is far and away the hardest job I’ve ever had. I have profound respect for those who take on this impossibly hard, often thankless, task, year in and year out. If elected as a Board member, I am excited to help ensure we recruit and retain high quality educators in SOMA by advocating for their needs and ensuring they have the resources and training necessary to support all of our students.

Teaching is also how I met my wife, Liz. She taught in Newark Public Schools and worked with educators in Philadelphia Public Schools, before becoming a leader in the Division of Performance at the New Jersey Department of Education.

After teaching for two years, I attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School. During my time there, I worked on education issues at the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, and then at the Government Accountability Office. I graduated and worked as a law clerk for the Honorable Anne E. Thompson in Trenton. When my clerkship ended, I sought a job where I could use my knowledge of the law to broaden my impact and live my values. I spent three years bringing consumer protection lawsuits against companies like Facebook and General Motors. I and my colleagues also advocated in front of the Virginia Supreme Court for a trans student whose teacher refused to use the student’s correct pronouns. Now, I have my dream job, standing up for communities against polluters like Exxon Mobil, Monsanto, and other corporations.

I’ve been lucky to meet many talented and passionate people in South Orange and Maplewood. For those I haven’t met, I’m looking forward to meeting you. I will work hard to earn your trust during this campaign, and if elected I will work as hard as I can on behalf of our students.