Democrat
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Biography:
I am a life-long Ohio resident, husband, dad, foster parent and veteran with a background in finance, entrepreneurship and governmental compliance. I currently work in Economic Development and real estate and have a BA in Political Science from UC and a Masters in Public Administration from NKU.
What are your three most important policy priorities? What do you hope will be the impact of implementing these policies?
Three of my top priorities are education, housing and infrastructure. Our educational system desperately needs an overhaul on the state level to ensure that children across the state receive comparable educations. This is particularly the case in rural and inner-city areas where K-12 is particularly lacking largely due to gaps in funding. Leveling this playing field will make Ohio children a workforce asset as an investment in our future. Housing has become unaffordable to a sizable percentage of our population, even in a relatively affordable state such as ours. We need to ensure that our workforce is able to afford to live near where they work so that parents can be present for their children, not working a second job to make rent or struggling to make inflated mortgage payments. Our infrastructure is key, especially our state routes and national highway system which allow goods to be produced here and quickly disbursed worldwide. Deterioration of this infrastructure has been ongoing with the former administration largely neglecting our roads and bridges. These roadways and rails are our lifeline as a state and need to be maintained to the highest standard possible to ensure companies want to locate here, knowing that their products can make it to market unhindered by bridge closures and train derailments.
If elected, what will be your approach to engage with constituents and businesses to gather input on legislative/policy decisions?
Local business councils, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations are the key to answering these questions. Their members have their finger on the pulse of the business community in every respect and one needn’t look any further to determine what businesses need in order to continue to locate and thrive here. Taking their views into account with each decision is of the utmost importance.
In your opinion, what are the two most important challenges facing our county and how do you propose to address them?
Education will always be first for me. If we wish to remain the economic superpower that we are today, we must double our efforts to ensure that we foster open thinking, innovation, collaboration and inventiveness in our schools and universities. A restructuring of how Ohio public schools are funded in compliance with our state constitution is a drastic first step. Secondly, the drug crisis is certainly a challenge by every definition of the word. Drug use snowballs into a myriad of other issues including crime, homelessness, child/spousal abuse, an increased burden on the underfunded foster system, increased spread of bloodborne illness, additional strain on fire/EMS/police services and an increased burden on our legal system and jails. A few dime bags can cost taxpayers thousands of dollars with the cost of incarcerations averaging over $39,000 nationally according to the Prisons Bureau. Finding a solution to this crisis would release funds to a place where they are otherwise required.
How do you plan to address regulatory challenges that local businesses face? Are there specific regulations or policies you would advocate in order to streamline business operations?
Every business has it’s own set of challenges, and government should not be one of those challenges. It should be easy to work with, easy to navigate and communicate clearly, moving at a speed that takes into account the potential urgency of the customer. I will stand behind any form of streamlining that makes practical sense while not allowing businesses to bypass federal, state or local regulations for the sake of efficiency. Government and community business leaders should meet regularly to discuss ongoing and potential obstacles and challenges to find solutions that work for everyone.
How do you plan to address infrastructure needs in our region, such as transportation, broadband, and utilities, to support business growth?
Again, we have a significant shortfall in the state of our infrastructure. This needs to be made whole in a way that will last for generations to come not just a patch. That being said, having reliable road and rail networks, internet and adequate utilities available at Ohio’s shovel ready sites is paramount. With electrical infrastructure taking years to implement due to design, engineering and supply chain issues, being proactive is again important. If our competitor states can offer sites with everything at the street and we’re five years out, we’re not winning that project.
What strategies do you propose to enhance workforce development and address any skills gaps in our community?
Again, education is key. There has also been a sizable gap in the trades in recent years, opening opportunity for vocational schools to initiate new programs. To use an analogy, we can’t go full speed with pot holes in the road. Filling gaps in the workforce proactively creates jobs locally and saves time and money on projects when deadlines need to be maintained. Forecasting shortfalls needs to initiate proactive measures to close these gaps before they have a chance to grow, even if that means offering free trade schools to those looking to become plumbers, electricians, pipe fitters or welders. These tradesmen and women may go on to become entrepreneurs themselves and will also add to our tax base even if they are a standard W2 employee. .
What measures do you propose to attract new businesses and encourage entrepreneurship locally?
Being an entrepreneur myself, I know what it takes to start a business. The Ohio Secretary of State’s website was an excellent place to start with step by step directions on what entrepreneurs need to do from an incorporation perspective. However, we need to make sure that startups have everything they need at their disposal to take those next steps and last beyond the first few years when finances are tight and growth may be slow or stagnant. Introducing interested parties to a toolkit that offers grants, venture capital and mentorships might be all it takes for someone to take the next step where they otherwise may not. Overcoming the initial fear of failure is paramount, and having a system in place to help alleviate this fear would certainly be beneficial.
As a member of an elected body, how would you work with your colleagues to build relationships and build consensus for your ideas?
I consider myself to be a very open-minded individual who is always willing to listen. I am happy to be wrong if there is reliable evidence contrary to my way of thinking. I do not pretend to know everything, and there are certainly areas in which I would defer to the experts, taking their expertise into account before making decisions. I consider this ignorance and reliance on others a strength as opposed to a weakness.
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