I consider myself as a son of Catasauqua, having resided in town since birth and for most of my life; barring a period of time while I was away attending college and residing/working in the Philadelphia area during my early adulthood. I grew up in town, attended school and graduated from high school here. I attended church here, worshiped here, was involved in many youth activities here, and even worked for our borough in the summer of 1999 for the Parks Dept. I moved back home after my schooling was finished, realizing that Catasauqua was where I wanted to settle down and start a family. There was no other place in my mind for this. My wife and I have made Catasauqua our “forever home.” In addition to being a resident, I am also an active member of our community. I can be seen and found around town at any events held. My family and I worship at Holy Trinity Memorial Lutheran Church. I also hold memberships in the Catasauqua Club, Catasauqua Sons of the American Legion, Porter Lodge No. 284 F&AM, and Suburban North Family YMCA. I donate annually to the Historic Catasauqua Preservation Association, to the George Taylor House Preservation Society, to our Public Library, and to our Fire Dept. I share all this info with you so that you understand I have no ambitions of leaving our town and demonstrate I am vested in our community. I am rooted here and that gives me purpose to work for making our town the best place it can be.

Regarding my education, I am a graduate of Penn State University, having earned two Bachelor of Science degrees in liberal sciences, and am also a graduate of West Chester University where I earned a Master’s degree in administration. I briefly attended Law School at Temple University, but was unsuccessful at obtaining my law degree. I very recently attended Widener University’s Commonwealth Law School in Harrisburg in a second attempt at obtaining my law degree, but was once again unsuccessful. The experience was humbling, to say the least; however, I have no regrets in that at least I tried. I share this info with you so that you understand I am well-educated, well-spoken, and have the intellect necessary for the role of a borough councilman. I am capable of arduous problem solving by viewing issues from multiple angles, and am open to new ideas brought forth by others. Only an ignorant man believes he is always correct. I am trainable and capable of learning new skills and methods required for a job. I am always in favor of seeking educational opportunities to expand my horizons and for those around me.

Regarding my professional life, I am a licensed healthcare worker and am employed by one of the region’s largest health networks. I have held my job title for approximately twenty years, and have been with my current employer for ten years. As a licensed professional, I must go about obtaining continuous education credits to renew my license biennially. This requirement helps keep me from becoming stale, and assists with my ability to stay current not only with my specific job discipline, but also with technology, business market trends, and cultural change. In performing my job duties, I find myself on a daily basis working alongside physicians, advanced practitioners, businessmen, lawyers, and many other highly well-educated professionals from various fields. The company that I keep allows me to network with some of the area’s most talented individuals. Also, the diversity of my coworkers, provided by the large size and my employer, allows me to interact with a variety of individuals who reside across the Lehigh Valley. I share all this info with you so that you understand I am able to work with others as part of a collaborative team, am able to gain perspective through always continuing to learn new things, and gain insight by interacting with different populations outside our borough which can lead to productive relationships and new ideas for our community to prosper.

Lastly, my leadership experience unfortunately does not consist of any formally elected government positions; however, I have held many leadership roles in the past. I am currently an appointed member and chairman of our borough’s Zoning Hearing Board, and am also an appointed member of the Lehigh County’s Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council. In the past, I was an appointed member of our borough’s Shade Tree Commission. I am currently a member and Vice-Chairman of the Catasauqua/North Catasauqua J4 Independence Day Committee. Other past leadership roles I have held were as Past President of the former Catasauqua Area Lions Club, a former member of the Suburban North YMCA advisory board, a former board director of the Catasauqua Club, and a former elected trustee for my college fraternity; Delta Upsilon at Penn State. The last may seem a trifle, but in fact was the most demanding as the organization commanded an annual operating budget of close to $1 million. I share all this info with you so that you understand I have the ability to handle the difficult decision-making tasks that accompany the role of a borough councilman, and I would not be new to the experience.

Having shared all this information about myself with you, I believe I have the skills required for serving as a councilman for our borough. I feel that I have the talent and fortitude for the position; especially the ability to identify and intervene in situations that demand hard decision making and immediate attention. Lastly, I want to state that I love our town. I want what is best for our town. I have ideas that I want to share which I believe can improve our town. I have no interest in getting credit nor acknowledgment for things, so if I am not elected, I still hope that certain ideas and actions can be shared, and in the end, as long as positive outcomes occur, that is all that matters.

Thank you for listening.

Personal Statement