My wife and I moved to Arizona in 2001 from South Bend, Indiana, and continued our careers in public service. Being part of the Mountain Park Board is an excellent way to continue to be active in the community and help give a voice to the community where I live. I have often been asked to find my why. The WHY is what sets you apart from everyone else. It’s your purpose. It’s what motivates a person to take action. Your WHY is also what motivates others to take action. Being involved with Mountain Park Health Centers allows me to examine my WHY and transition to the WHO. I am a son, friend, husband, and father. I am also a member of the community that Mountain Park Health Centers serve, and because of that, I feel obligated to give back in some small way.

I most value Mountain Parks’ patient-centered approach and how they surround the patient with all the medical care they would need in a single location, and how the health centers provide the needed services to the communities in which they are located. As an educator, I see great potential in taking the Mountain Park model to transform the way education is done. If we could simply replace ‘patient’ with student and ‘medical care’ with education and service to best meet children’s social-emotional and cultural needs.