Council District 10

I have 10+ years of direct experience shaping Central Kentucky through thoughtful land use planning, most recently as Lexington’s Manager of Long-Range Planning, and before that as Director of Planning for Jessamine County and the City of Wilmore. Throughout my career, I have worked with elected and appointed officials, businesses, neighborhoods, and residents to ensure we have a vision for where we want to go, and a strategy for how to get there.

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from the University of Kentucky and a Master's Degree in Urban & Regional Planning from Florida State University. This allows me to build from a broad base of experience and knowledge. I am also designated by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

For over two years, I have been President of the Moondance Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to improving the Moondance Amphitheater facilities and experience. Over that time, we have significantly increased our fundraising, have several projects completed and in-progress, and are working on a property master plan.

I am ready to lead from day one, and that’s not just a slogan. My unique career and community involvement puts me in a position to be ahead of the learning curve. Having worked as a city planner, I have tackled projects and problems of all scales in almost every corner of government. I overhauled the city’s big picture comprehensive plan in 2018, worked with our neighbors on small area plans, modernized outdated regulations, and created multiple award-winning public input strategies to ensure we are maintaining open lines of communication with the public. I believe that the best plans are built as a community not for a community.

My work has spanned a wide array of topics including transportation, the natural environment, economic development, housing, neighborhood placemaking, and more. I have created and managed departmental budgets, overseen building inspection and code enforcement, and developed planning and implementation strategies. The hallmark of my career as a public servant has been building bridges and relationships across stakeholders and varying viewpoints to get things done. I care deeply about District 10 and Lexington and am excited about continuing my public service from a new impactful position.

My perspective is not only shaped from a city planning perspective, but also as a resident of District 10 and father of three young children. While I don’t want to wrap my arms around my kids and make them stay here in Lexington, I certainly want them to have the option. To give them (and everyone else) that opportunity, we need to get a handle on our rising housing costs, continue focusing on attracting jobs and retaining talent, and invest in a safe transportation network. All of this needs to be accomplished while prioritizing fiscal responsibility, transparent budgeting, wise use of taxpayer dollars, and basic infrastructure management.

Housing: We need to continue to address our housing supply across the board to drive costs down at all price points. Continuing to modernize our regulations and removing barriers will provide opportunities for increased production. As Manager of Long-Range Planning, I directed Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments (ZOTAs) that were successful in increasing the floor-area-ratio (amount of building allowed on a parcel) for our multi-family zones, eliminating parking mandates that favored impervious parking spaces over housing, legalizing accessory dwelling units to provide flexibility for homeowners to increase housing on their lots, in addition to developing two Comprehensive Plans that favor housing density when paired with livability. I plan to continue to find more opportunities to encourage housing production while maintaining a high quality of life.

In addition to addressing market-rate housing, we need to find new ways to invest in permanently affordable housing that stays in the housing stock, such as expanding the Community Land Trust model.

Economic Development: We should focus on bringing high-paying jobs and quality employers to Lexington, leveraging the new Legacy Business Park as a catalyst and ensuring we are nationally and regionally competitive. Investing in workforce development is also critical to that competitiveness, preparing us for the careers of the future and creating a capable workforce.

Lexington also has a thriving small business community. I will champion our small businesses and build on that already existing ecosystem. We need to create a space that allows our entrepreneurs to grow, and an environment that encourages business retention.

Transportation: Safe streets start with slower speeds. District 10 residents deserve neighborhoods without drivers speeding through, and I will work with our neighbors on traffic calming solutions that work for them. We also need to ensure that new developments are built with streets proactively designed with safety in mind, so we avoid costly retrofits after the fact.

We also should invest in a connected and accessible network of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to ensure safe and convenient travel for those who choose or rely on these methods of transportation.

Lastly, we need to continue to work with Lextran to build a modern transit system that works for Lexington. One that saves time, reduces congestion, and improves lives.

We need to meet people where they are. Public awareness and involvement are critical, which is why as Manager of Long-Range Planning I was proud to establish new avenues to reach Lexington residents. One example of this: I led the City’s team in the inaugural “On the Table” program in 2017, which increased public participation in the planning process from hundreds to over 10,000. This unprecedented process brought members of the community together to collaborate and craft solutions for a growing city, and led to the most publicly informed comprehensive plan in Lexington's history. It was awarded by the Kentucky Chapter of the American Planning Association for “Outstanding Public Engagement”.

Another example was in 2020 when COVID-19 made public gatherings challenging. Instead of closing our doors, Long-Range Planning under my leadership looked for new ways to connect with the public. I developed and directed “Mornings with Planning” a monthly webinar that continued to engage with Lexington residents on pertinent issues and keep the lines of communication open. This was an example of having to pivot and find new ways to make it easier for residents to participate in local government, given evolving constraints. This project was also awarded “Outstanding Public Engagement” by the APA-KY.

I commit to continuing to find new ways to get District 10 and Lexington residents involved in the decision-making process and create new avenues for their involvement. I’m open to suggestions!