Why am I running for Town Council?
My family and I have lived in Narragansett for the last 24 years. I love Narragansett’s natural beauty and strong sense of community. After retiring, I chose to give back to the town and was appointed to the Planning Board.
I have the skills and background as a Town Council Member to help Narragansett have a civil and transparent government and a brighter future. I can help Narragansett maintain a high quality of life for residents and continue to be an attractive place for people to visit and vacation.
As a Town Council Member, I will bring thoughtful and careful consideration to issues before the Council, drawing on my past experience to make decisions that:
- are holistic;
- consider the multiple perspectives of the residents, visitors and businesses; and
- are in the best short term and long term interest of the town.
My Story
I’m from a large family and grew up in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Both of my parents worked – my dad was a businessman and my mother was a librarian. I attended Penn State University to study Environmental Resource Management.
Early in my career, I worked for the City of Pittsburgh Parks Department and developed school programs and summer camps for the city’s Nature Centers. I also successfully started two businesses: a wholesale specialty printing business and a landscaping business.
In my early 30’s, I returned to school and studied Land Use and Environmental Planning at the University of Virginia. My graduate studies focused on successful communities; mediation of complex public policy issues that involve many different interests and perspectives; transportation planning; and hurricane hazard planning.
Upon graduation, I worked for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (the Chesapeake Bay’s version of Save the Bay) as a watershed planner and land use planner in Virginia and Maryland.
Later, I worked for the Maryland Department of Planning where I provided technical assistance to small communities around the state. I also helped to develop and implement the State’s nationally recognized “smart growth” programs that have a dual purpose: encourage growth and economic development in town centers and other areas that have infrastructure capacity; and conserve farmland, forests and sensitive environmental areas.
After moving to Rhode Island, I led the Rhode Island Land Trust Council for 18 years. This is a non-profit organization that is the state coalition of local land trusts – organizations formed by residents in towns around the state to protect the special places in their communities.
My work has been recognized by Grow Smart Rhode Island’s 2021 Smart Growth Champion Award and Clean Water Action’s 2023 David R. Gerraughty Award for Lifetime Commitment to the Environment.
I’ve been married to my wife for 34 years. We raised our daughter in Narragansett.
Education
Bachelor of Science Degree – Environmental Resource Management, Pennsylvania State University, May 1978
Master Degree – Urban and Environmental Planning, University of Virginia, May 1989