ABOUT PICK
A new voice with a fresh perspective
that will champion and advocate for all
who live, work, or visit El Segundo
When I moved from suburban Philadelphia to Southern California in 2013, it was important to me to find a place that felt like home. In other words, it needed to be a small town where I could easily get a Philly soft pretzel. Happy to say I found that – and a lot more – here in El Segundo.
I found hills. So. Many. Hills. I credit our undulating topography to my performance at the 2017 Los Angeles Marathon where I was the first American finisher.
I found a beach. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t mind the 90 mile drive to the Jersey Shore growing up, but being 89.5 miles closer to the water sure is nice.
But above all, in El Segundo, I found a tight-knit community. One that reminded me of home and made putting down roots on the west coast worthwhile, and I haven’t looked back since.
I graduated from Villanova University in 2013 with a degree in Political Science. While I was always interested in politics and government, I also had a strong passion for writing. I moved to California the summer after college and in 2016 I earned my masters in Writing and Producing for Television at Loyola Marymount University. In my time at LMU, I was an assistant Cross Country and Track coach. Not only did I recruit a student-athlete who went on to become the fastest XC runner in school history, but I also recruited him and several teammates to move to El Segundo upon graduation.
Since earning my masters I've worked on a number of shows, including Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Goldbergs, and Saturday Night Live where I was a freelance joke contributor on their Weekend Update segment. I currently work as a Script Coordinator on an upcoming Amazon show. I also put my writing abilities to use in other arenas. I've been published in various media outlets like HuffPost, OutSports, and in the local press where I've written primarily about social and political issues. In recent years, I’ve regularly written extensive recaps on our City Council and DEI Committee meetings for a mailing list that includes hundreds of residents. These informative newsletters evolved out of my role in the Sweat Equity Alliance, a community group I co-founded that’s committed to making El Segundo a more welcoming place.
I’ve served on the group’s leadership team since our inception and have been instrumental in spearheading progressive initiatives with the City, City Council, and the DEI Committee. One call to action that’s especially meaningful to me is when I successfully pushed the City – for the first time ever – to declare June Pride Month in El Segundo and to illuminate our iconic water tower in rainbow lights. I’m thrilled and so proud to say this is now an annual El Segundo tradition.
I’m also a supporter of the El Segundo Education Foundation and have the coveted distinction of being the 10k course record holder for their yearly Run for Education road race. Outside of the Ed! Foundation, I’ve sought to be an advocate for students in ESUSD. In 2020, I co-led a response to a racist advertisement placed in The El Segundo Herald by a group known only as “WE THE PARENTS 90245." In response, 300 residents signed a new advertisement that stood with and up for our students and schools.
This drive to uplift and support marginalized or underrepresented groups has been a part of my identity long before moving to El Segundo. In my senior year of college, I volunteered at a maximum security prison where I taught English and Math to incarcerated individuals working toward their GEDs. I later volunteered with Back on My Feet, a non-profit organization which engages those experiencing homelessness in running as a means to build self-sufficiency. It was through experiences Iike these where I learned to become more empathetic, an active listener, and an agent of change. These are values and qualities we need and have needed on our City Council, especially these last few years.
I’m running as a millennial renter who lives in an apartment with his boyfriend and our two cats that we rescued from the innards of a 2007 Toyota Corolla. I’m not certain, but I don’t think we’ve ever had such a combination on our City Council. But of course, that’s not why I’m running. I’m running because I care deeply about El Segundo. I want to continue to build my life here and one day start a family here. I’m invested in our tight-knit community and motivated to see El Segundo become the best version of itself. I’m a new voice with a fresh perspective that will champion and advocate for all who live, work, or visit El Segundo as we take on the most important challenges facing our community in the years to come.
