I was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and I’m a fifth-generation Central Texan. I have one sister, Allison, who lives in Fort Worth, and a little brother, Key, who is an owner/operator of Chick-Fila in Uniontown Pa. Because my father worked in the restaurant industry and managed several well-known establishments, including the Tower of the Americas and the Magic Time Machine in San Antonio, our family also spent short periods living in both San Antonio and Dallas as he moved between leadership roles. That experience gave me an early appreciation for different communities while still keeping Central Texas as home.

My wife, Samantha, and I currently live in downtown New Braunfels while we search for the right home in Fair Oaks Ranch. We have four children — our sons, Jake and Jackson, and our daughters, Jillian and Sophia. Our family also includes two golden doodles, Tate and Charlie Jane, who keep things lively and fun!

Before entering law enforcement, I spent more than a decade managing restaurants and retail operations, which gave me a strong foundation in leadership, customer service, and problem-solving. A family member who was a lieutenant with the Austin Police Department encouraged me to consider policing and helped me see how well my skills and temperament fit the profession.

That conversation changed the direction of my life. I entered the Austin Police Academy in January of 1995 and began what became a lifelong commitment to public service.

Staying physically active is a big part of my life. I’ve competed in triathlons, mountain bike races, and marathons over the years, including Ironman Texas in 2015 and Escape from Alcatraz in 2016, which were two of my favorite experiences. I still keep a consistent daily fitness routine and start most mornings with a 6:00am workout before heading to work.

Outside of fitness, I enjoy traveling and adventure photography, cooking, camping, and playing guitar. I’ve also had a long-standing interest in Jeeps and motorcycles — anything that combines engineering, independence, and a sense of adventure. I recently took professional portraits of our staff and posted them throughout our campus to increase morale and emphasize how each person is important to our organization. Together, those hobbies keep me grounded, curious, and balanced, which I think matters a lot in leadership.

As someone who prioritizes health and fitness, this experience came as a complete surprise. I had just returned from a long work-related flight when I started feeling pain in my right calf. I assumed I had strained a muscle and treated it with heat and massage. In reality, it was a deep vein thrombosis — a blood clot — caused by prolonged immobility during the flight.

That kind of clot can become life-threatening if it travels to the lungs and turns into a pulmonary embolism. Unfortunately, I waited four days before seeking treatment. During that time, both my smartwatch and my 8 Sleep mattress system were telling me something was wrong — my heart rate was elevated, my breathing was abnormal, and my sleep patterns were completely off. I dismissed those warnings because I felt like I could “work through it.”

When I finally developed chest pain and shortness of breath, I went to Fair Oaks Emergency Room. Within minutes, it was clear how serious it was. I was transported by ambulance and spent 48 hours in the hospital, including time in intensive care, where doctors delivered life-saving anticoagulants directly through a catheter into my heart and lungs.

I was fortunate. I recovered quickly and was able to return to work after follow-up care. But the lesson is an important one: don’t ignore warning signs, especially unexplained leg pain after travel, and don’t ignore what your health technology is telling you. Those early signals are there for a reason — they can save your life.

After retiring from the Austin Police Department, I returned in a leadership and wellness capacity as a consultant and Director of Wellness. During that time, I was made aware of an opportunity to serve Fair Oaks Ranch in an interim chief role. After meeting with the City Manager and learning more about the community, it became clear very quickly that this was a place we wanted to invest in — both professionally and personally. I started in this role on August 6th, 2024. Fair Oaks Ranch has a strong sense of community, and that aligns deeply with how I believe policing should be done.

My goals for the Fair Oaks Ranch Police Department are threefold. First, to provide highly responsive, relationship-based policing where every resident feels heard, respected, and protected. Second, to build a healthy, professional internal culture where great people want to work, grow, and stay. And third, to position Fair Oaks Ranch as one of the safest cities in Texas — not just by statistics, but by the daily lived experience of our residents.

Those goals reinforce each other: when officers are supported and residents are engaged, public safety becomes both effective and sustainable.