In 1989 my father emigrated to the US, met my mother, and together they raised our family in central Sioux Falls. My mom was a nurse, and my dad was an addictions counselor, school counselor, and hospice chaplain. From a young age our home was a haven for single mothers, refugees, Sioux Falls transplants, and other recent immigrants looking for a place to belong. Our family was often the first to greet newcomers at church, the park, or the library and offer a warm meal, a bed to sleep, and even a driveway in which to park an RV for the summer. As a child I learned quickly the values that knit strong communities: hospitality, compassion, curiosity, and generosity:
The blessings we had were fundamentally a means to love our neighbor.
My wife Carrie and I were both raised in South Dakota. She was born and raised on the Highway 18 corridor, growing up in Gregory and attending college at Augustana. I graduated from Lincoln High School and continued on to Creighton University. During our brief time in Nebraska, South Dakota continued to call us home. We returned to place roots in Sioux Falls and have lived in District 15 for the past 8 years, where we raise our family, work, worship, and serve. In addition to community and neighborhood volunteer work I serve as a Deacon and Treasurer at our church.
Together, we are blessed to parent four adventurous and spirited boys: Israel, Theodore, Elijah, and Oliver. You have likely seen us coaching youth baseball and soccer, supporting our kids in wrestling and 605 Ninja. We spend what free time remains camping in the beauty of our national and state parks, hiking and filling their hearts with wonder. Our favorites include Badlands National Park, Glacier National Park, Olympic National Park, and of course, Custer State Park.
Embedded in the local healthcare markets, I have spent the past decade working alongside small, family businesses, local school districts, cities and county governments, and large, national employers across the Upper Midwest, helping them navigate the complexities of healthcare and employee benefits - generally the second-largest line-item on an annual budget. This intersection between employers, healthcare providers, and healthcare consumers brings me up against some of the most urgent public health issues affecting our communities today. I have had the privilege to work alongside dedicated teams to address head-on the issues of addiction support, access to mental and behavioral health services, and the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs.
My Vision
Here in District 15, we are home to richly-textured neighborhoods, filled by a diversity of culture, ethnicity, vocation, and lived experience. We understand that the goodness of a flourishing, vibrant life is found through seeking the best for our families and made better by serving and investing in our neighbors, creating communities where opportunity prospers. We firmly reject the idea that politics is central to life and that the best things - the good, the true, and the beautiful - are found at the kitchen table and neighborhood park. Pursuing these shared values will allow our communities to flourish well into the future, while focusing solely on anti-politics will leave us spiritually bare and communally empty.
Technological changes continue to impact how we engage relationally and technically with education, work, and community. As South Dakotans in the here and now we have an obligation to address these challenges that strike at the core of our workforce training, future job growth and their impact to our state - I am running to do that work.
We continue to need strong classrooms with well-equipped educators and support staff, workforce opportunities that will provide for today, local economic development that will carry these jobs into the future, and an unwavering commitment to entrepreneurial innovation.
