School Committee
In 2008 I was appointed to the School Committee to fill a vacancy when another member resigned. In 2009 I was elected to a three-year term. During my time on the Committee I have for served two years as Vice-Chair and this year I am honored to serve as Chair. I also serve or have served on numerous subcommittees, joint committees, and task forces:
- I currently serve as Chair of the Policy Subcommittee which is undertaking a comprehensive, multi-year effort to bring all School Committee policies up-to-date and in line with the current needs of the system and the recent changes to the town by-laws and charter.
- I also serve as Vice-Chair of the Financial Planning Committee, a joint committee with members of the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee.
- As Chair, I am the School Committee’s representative to the Natick High School Building Committee, which is overseeing the construction of the new building.
- I am a member of the Facilities Management Study Committee, a joint committee with members of the Board of Selectmen, which studied and recommended a consolidation plan to both boards.
- In 2010 I was the School Committee representative to the Superintendent’s Anti-Bullying task force.
Background
I grew up right here in Natick. For the first six years of my life my family lived in Wethersfield. We eventually moved across Rt. 9 to the bottom of Walnut Street, right across from Fisk Memorial Church. I attended Natick schools from kindergarten through Natick High School where I ran track and cross-country. I graduated from Natick High in 1984.
After high school graduation, I attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. While there I earned a degree in Fine Arts and spent a summer abroad in Europe. In the years after college I lived variously in Somerville, Boston, and Brookline. In 2000, my wife and I purchased the house on Curve Street where we live now, with our two children—a son and a daughter.
Professional Background
I’ve worked in high-tech since the early 90’s as a systems administrator, database and web developer, consultant, and project manager. Over that time I’ve worked for companies both large and small, and for a few years as an independent consultant.
In 1996, along with three friends from Natick High, I co-founded a software company. We had very little startup capital, and few resources, but we persevered. I served as the Vice President for Product Development. For most of our existence, money was always short, but we eventually grew to employ over a dozen people. That experience taught me a lot about what it takes to make tough decisions in tight financial times. Eventually we were successful, and ultimately we were acquired by a California company in late 1999.
Since 2004 I’ve worked at Bose Corporation in Framingham managing large software projects and as an internal consultant to various business groups.
Other Volunteer and Government Work
- Mickey’s Kids: An organization dedicated to bringing the dream of summer camp to children in need. Member of the annual golf tournament organizing committee since 2002.
- Sierra Club: Chair of the Greater Boston Group from 2002 through 2004.
- Yes for Natick: Co-chair of the ballot question committee, 2007 - 2008.
- Natick Town Meeting: 2008 - 2011
- Johnson School PTO: Volunteer.
- Natick Democratic Town Committee: Member since 2007.