About
I live in Oak Bay with my wife and two kids, who attend school here, just like I did over 20 years ago and my mother before me. In fact, when we moved back to Victoria after a couple of decades away, we lived with my mother for a while in the same house that has been in the family for over 65 years and housed five generations. Suffice it to say I'm invested in this place. I haven't been everywhere in the world (yet), but I have yet to see a better place to raise children.
I have a computer science degree and have spent the last 20 years in the software industry. Today I am the CTO at a mid-sized supply chain technology company. Before that I worked at companies of every size, from massive enterprises like Telus and Microsoft to tiny startups. I find challenge and excitement everywhere, but at the core of what I love to do is solving problems. I am a builder. Whether it's people, process, or systems, I love building something that solves a problem. I believe that while radical advances do happen, they are hard to predict and harder to manufacture, so it's best to focus on iterative improvement. Be a little bit better every day and you move closer to solving the problem.
The strength of community is the greatest part of the school system here. Seeing a tight-knit collection of parents, educators, and volunteers collaborating across school events, sports teams, arts, and outdoor activities to give young people rich lives and set them up for the future is why I'm here. Aside from casual help at smaller events, I've served as a Scouter with the local Beavers and Cubs, and I'm looking to expand my community involvement through the school board.
I find politics at all levels frustrating. Despite being a middle-aged white guy I don't always feel represented. Not because people don't look like me but they don't sound like me. I wonder why so much attention goes to small wedge issues, and why people speak in ideological platitudes instead of logic, systems thinking, and data-driven decision making. I just wish it were all more boring and sensible. Specific to this election, I see a board in turbulence at a time when our children are facing some of the greatest challenges to education in years, and I think there's an opportunity to do better. I'm running because I want to be the type of politician I wish I saw more of, and I'm hoping others feel the same.