I love America. I love the Constitution. I love Liberty. When I was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Three years ago I traded in my dress blues for civilian clothes, but I did not lay down my oath. My military and business experience has made me uniquely qualified to be the Utah County Treasurer. I am firm, but fair. I can be passionate for the cause, but impartial to the candidates. I have a vision for the future, but am not blind to today’s realities.
I learned a lot as an officer in the Air Force. My degree in Aerospace Engineering taught me a lot about science, research, and critical analysis. I learned how to study, question, and find answers. As an A-10 pilot I honed the ability to keep a clear head in stressful, high-stakes situations. Going into unknown territory and sorting out someone else’s mess was standard practice. As an instructor at the Air-Ground Operations School I gained great experience leading, teaching, speaking, and debating.
My most rewarding deployment was as chief of the fire support shop, serving as part of the Combined-Joint Special Operations Task Force-South, a multinational team of special operations teams from around the world. The time was immediately after 9/11. The place was Qandahar, Afghanistan. My job was to sit in on planning missions with the Germans, the Aussies, the Kiwis, our very own Yanks, and everyone else honored to be part of “the team.” I’d integrate the close air support piece, coordinate the planes, and be on the radio in case they needed anything else while doing their job. While I was there, we had a 100% mission success rate with zero casualties. Not so much as a sprained ankle. I don’t take credit for the success. I was just part of the team… but it was a great team. And I learned a lot about what makes a successful team.
Since moving on to civilian life, I have applied my MBA/E-business to two entrepreneurial enterprises, both of which have been handed off and are thriving to this day. I now serve as the director of Open High School of Utah, an online public charter high school. We are pioneers in online education with the goal to revolutionize education, “because education isn’t an assembly line, and children aren’t widgets.” I have also been actively involved in Utah politics as precinct chair for Pleasant Grove 09 and in various campaigns.
The Utah county party leadership has done an admirable job keeping the Republican party strong. However, after the last election, more needs to be done, and I have a lot more to give. We need to make quantum leaps in transparency and accessibility. America’s best days lie ahead, which says a lot considering where we’ve been. To make that happen we need leaders with the vision, drive, and intestinal fortitude to get us there.
That is why I’m running for Utah County Treasurer.
