Candidate, Tennessee State House of Representatives, District 7, 2014

No caucus information on file.

Academic Advisor, East Tennessee State University, 2007-present

Adjunct Faculty, East Tennessee State University, 2006-2007

Adjunct Faculty, Northeast State Community College, 2003-2004

Restaurant Manager, MCM Inc, 2000-2001

Electrical Contractor, Self-Employed, 1994-2000

Restaurant Manager, Various Companies, 1989-1994

Assistant Scout Master, Boy Scouts of America, 2002-present

Elder, Central Community Christian Church, 2010-2014

Deacon, Central Community Christian Church, 2007-2010

Favorite Quote:

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
Edmund Burke

Reason for Seeking Public Office:

Nashville has lost touch with what actually happens in the classroom at both the K-12 and college level. Some of the laws that have been passes and are being proposed are doing more harm than good. The proof is in the tests that Nashville so much wants to hold up as progress. The latest TCAP scores have been described as "Horrendous". Tennessee's own press release from last August admits that 85% of high school graduates in the state do not meet the ACT college readiness benchmarks (https://news.tn.gov/node/11216). The Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010 has damaged developmental studies to the point where students, IN ONE SINGLE SEMESTER, are actually expected to complete all of their years of high school deficiencies and get 3 college credits for Probabilities and Statistics, even when the students' math skills are at junior high school levels. We have political appointees running education at different levels who are not qualified for the positions they hold and have little to no experience in education.

I have other concerns besides education, such as:
- overcrowding of prisons and a high percentage of non-violent offenders averaging ten years in prison when we could create alternative sentencing plans
- Outrageous fees for handgun carry permits that include safety courses that teach little about gun safety. These fees are an interference in the right to bear arms and should be limited to only what is necessary for administrative purposes.
- State incentives for large employers that have resulted in over $100 million give to one company (Hemlock Semiconductors) who has closed down and left and still received checks from the state after closing down. Another example is TNInvestco which has spent over $200 million to create jobs at a cost of $140,000 per job.

Who is minding the store and what are they doing to address these issues?

I can no longer stand by and do nothing.

Nashville has lost touch with what actually happens in the classroom at both the K-12 and college level. Some of the laws that have been passes and are being proposed are doing more harm than good. The proof is in the tests that Nashville so much wants to hold up as progress. The latest TCAP scores have been described as "Horrendous". Tennessee's own press release from last August admits that 85% of high school graduates in the state do not meet the ACT college readiness benchmarks (https://news.tn.gov/node/11216). The Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010 has damaged developmental studies to the point where students, IN ONE SINGLE SEMESTER, are actually expected to complete all of their years of high school deficiencies and get 3 college credits for Probabilities and Statistics, even when the students' math skills are at junior high school levels. We have political appointees running education at different levels who are not qualified for the positions they hold and have little to no experience in education.

I have other concerns besides education, such as:
- overcrowding of prisons and a high percentage of non-violent offenders averaging ten years in prison when we could create alternative sentencing plans
- Outrageous fees for handgun carry permits that include safety courses that teach little about gun safety. These fees are an interference in the right to bear arms and should be limited to only what is necessary for administrative purposes.
- State incentives for large employers that have resulted in over $100 million give to one company (Hemlock Semiconductors) who has closed down and left and still received checks from the state after closing down. Another example is TNInvestco which has spent over $200 million to create jobs at a cost of $140,000 per job.

Who is minding the store and what are they doing to address these issues?

I can no longer stand by and do nothing.