About Me

My career with the Oregon State Police began a little later in life. Before entering law enforcement, I worked for 10 years as an automotive service advisor for BMW. I later worked for ODOT as a dispatcher for a year before joining OSP, where I spent three years as a dispatcher at the Northern Command Center. I eventually became a sworn Trooper and spent my entire sworn career working Patrol before I began full-time Association leadership.

That background gave me an appreciation for the different professions represented by OSPOA. My automotive experience helps me understand the work of our Fleet members, my years in dispatch give me firsthand knowledge of that profession, and my Patrol experience allows me to relate to the challenges of our sworn members.

I've served the membership in one capacity or another since approximately 2018, beginning as the Salem Patrol worksite representative. During that time, I represented members involved in several critical incidents, including two officer-involved shootings involving four Troopers in each event. I was later elected Northwest Region Representative, then Vice President, and ultimately President of OSPOA in July 2022.

When I told my father I'd been elected President, he was understandably proud. He reminded me that he'd served as a union shop steward at Willamette Industries, a lumber mill in Dallas, Oregon, during the 1970s and 1980s. That conversation brought back two childhood memories I'd nearly forgotten.

The first was sitting alongside him and other mill employees on a picket line during a strike when I was about eight or nine years old.

The second was a Christmas event at our local movie theater. The theater was filled with employees' children watching Christmas cartoons. It was probably only a few hours long, but looking back it felt like we were there the whole day. When we came outside, two fire trucks were parked in front with their ladders extended, and Santa Claus and his elves were handing out candy and Christmas treats. I later learned the entire event had been organized and paid for by the union.

More than forty years later, I still remember that afternoon.

Our Association is spread across Oregon rather than concentrated in one small town. But my experience as the son of a union member continues to influence how I think about OSPOA and how we can make it better for our members.

I believe a strong Association should do more than negotiate contracts and represent members during difficult times. It should also help members and their families connect, build relationships, and feel proud to belong.

That's the kind of Association I've tried to build, and what I want to continue building.