Today, I want to introduce myself to you and share my reasons for running for office. Next month I will explain my position on some of the important issues facing Pennsylvanians. In November, I will tell you why I think a vote for me is the best decision you can make in this election.

I consider myself a moderate Democrat. In fact, for much of my voting life, I was a registered Republican - a "Reagan Republican." Although my party affiliation is Democrat, I do not focus on partisan political ideology. Instead, I focus on listening to and representing all residents of District 33. Rather than following a party line, I seek to understand the facts surrounding an issue, to find a solution that will resolve the issue, and to secure support for that solution with anyone who agrees with me, regardless of party affiliation.

This is the approach I have taken to problem-solving my entire adult life. Even as a student in high school and college, I learned the importance of working with others for the good of everyone through my involvement in team sports and musical ensembles. As an athlete and musician, I learned to work with others to achieve something that I could never achieve on my own. I learned that everyone has something to contribute to the process, and everyone’s input needs to be valued.

In my early adult years, I spent a few months working as a UPS delivery driver. My brief stint as a UPS driver taught me one of my first, and most valuable, leadership lessons - Always look to the furthest point down the road. Taking an action that is momentarily expedient and provides temporary relief is often not the best long-term strategy to address a problem, and sometimes it ends up making the problem worse. Visionary leadership requires the ability to see the long-term consequences of current actions.

As an adult, I spent 25 years in public education, first as a Social Studies teacher, and then as a middle school and high school principal. I also coached football, and in retirement, I am a member of the school board at Bermudian Springs School District. My experiences as a coach, a teacher, a principal and a school member have taught me how to bring people together around a common purpose and work to achieve a common goal.

My career in education taught me that there are many ways to resolve an issue. It also taught me that meaningful solutions require discussion, understanding, and ultimately compromise. The ability to "see the furthest point down the road" makes it easier to determine the best course of action to achieve long-term benefits.

I decided to run for Pennsylvania Senate because I believe this type of visionary, results-oriented leadership is sorely lacking in Harrisburg. There are too many problems not being resolved due to partisan, political posturing and an unwillingness to compromise. Too many of our State Representatives and State Senators concern themselves with playing to base constituencies rather than working toward solutions that benefit the vast majority of Pennsylvanians.

I am not interested in playing political games. I am interested in working with colleagues to find long-term solutions to difficult issues. Those issues include: providing affordable health insurance for everyone, which is not dependent on job security; securing fair and equitable funding for K-12 schools; enacting property tax reform that maintains a high standard of local control; maintaining clean air and clean waterways without job losses due to environmental restrictions; putting an end to gerrymandering and voter disenfranchisement; finding solutions to gun violence that don’t impinge on Second Amendment rights; promoting social justice and law enforcement reforms; and supporting volunteer emergency services and responders.

Achieving solutions to these issues requires leadership and vision. Leadership includes listening to all sides of an issue and consulting with recognized experts. Vision includes knowing the desired outcome and anticipating the consequences of short term actions. As an example, throughout the current pandemic crisis, I have consistently advocated for consulting with and following the guidance offered by medical experts, while keeping an eye on "the furthest point down the road" to ensure the health and safety or everyone.