There have been some misconceptions or doubt floating around about my qualifications to run for mayor of Livingston. There has also been some deliberate or unintentional misinformation going around about my father. I will say first and foremost that, in the absence of someone's ability to challenge the policies I'm proposing or defend the current leadership's policies or lack of presence, disinformation naturally starts to rear its head.
I am a proud veteran of the United States military, having served my country honorably and with distinction for ten years in the US Navy. During my service, I was awarded both the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for leadership during Operation Noble Eagle, as well as a Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal, in addition to numerous other medals. It is during my service I learned the value of leadership, teamwork, and service to others. After my time in the military, I worked in the Rates and Regulatory Department of Xcel Energy, specializing in cases relating to electric rates and electric utilities at the Public Utilities Commission of Texas.
After my time at Xcel Energy, I owned a furniture manufacturing and shipping and logistics company in Bali, Indonesia, managing over 30 employees and millions of dollars in revenue. I returned to Texas and now live in Livingston, working from home writing and teaching courses in industrial skills such as power plants operations and processes, refinery operations, OSHA, and numerous other industrial topics for a company called HSI. Additionally, I own and operate a successful Airbnb in Livingston.
My father was in the utility industry for 43 years and is a well-respected industry expert and household name in the utility industry, working his way up from a control room operator and finally retiring as the Regional Vice President of Rates and Regulatory for Southwestern Public Service Company, a subsidiary of Xcel Energy in Amarillo, TX. My mom is a retired registered nurse, having dedicated nearly four decades of her professional life to the service of others. They now reside just outside Jasper, Texas, happily raising chickens and enjoying their retirement.
Similar to the efforts in Livingston by me and others to address our utility rates, my dad also spearheaded efforts in Jasper to get their city mayor and council to address utility rates. Hundreds upon hundreds of both cities' citizens filed petitions to the Public Utility Commission. Jasper's petition was successful because, unlike Livingston, Jasper serves customers outside city limits, and the Commission was willing to hear their case. The City of Jasper came to the table to settle on mutually agreeable terms for the money that was due to the citizens of their city. Unlike Jasper, however, Livingston's leadership has still refused to come to the table and still has not informed their citizens of what is going on with the utility rates and their overcollections that led to this in the first place.
My father, despite some circulating rumors, is not the mayor of Jasper. Living outside the city limits, he is not qualified to hold any public office in Jasper. He nor I are consultants for any energy firm having anything to do with Jasper's decision regarding their rates. I also do not travel for weeks at a time with my job. While I do travel on occasion, unless I'm combining a work trip for some rare but well-deserved vacation time, I may be out of town two to three days every few months.
My qualifications to run for mayor speak for themselves. And while I've not held public office before, that is not a hindrance. Reagan wasn't a public official until he run for Governor of California. Trump wasn't a public official until he ran for president. Experience in public office is not a qualification and can, in fact, sometimes be a detriment to necessary changes of ideas and approach. And while it's also true that I'm not a native of Livingston, I also do not consider this to be a liability. In fact, I think my experiences and expertise make me an ideal candidate to address the changes that are happening and will continue to happen in our city, and my lack of connection or being beholden to any well-known connections makes me ideal for ensuring policies being pushed to city council for consideration are for the betterment of all our citizens and not just a few. This is my home, this is where I work, where my friends are, where my business is, where I spend my money. It is in my best interest and the interest of the citizens to see Livingston succeed, and I am ready to dedicate myself tirelessly to that effort.
I certainly hope this has cleared up some confusions surrounding my experience, expertise, and my parents. But for those of you that still have questions, my contact information is everywhere. I'm regularly out in front of the community, so come to one of the town hall events. Interact on social media. Call me. Email me. Why speculate when you have direct access to me?
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