I am a lifelong Roman, born and raised in Rome, educated in Rome Public Schools, and a graduate of Rome Free Academy. I had the absolute pleasure of serving the Rome community as a member of the Rome Police Department beginning my career as a patrolman in 2008. In 2012 I was selected as one of the founding members of the Community Impact Unit. This specialized unit was created to concentrate its patrols on high crime/nuisance areas within the city. Along with saturating some of the city’s most problematic areas, we also developed lasting relationships with the residents and small businesses within the community.

After spending 3 years with the Community Impact Unit, I was assigned to the Detective Division in 2015. I spent the next 6.5 years within that unit as a detective. In 2017, I earned the role of being the Rome Police Public Information Officer. In this role I was the individual responsible for communicating with the public, media, and coordinating with other agencies with incident related information requirements. I took great pride in this position as I was put in the forefront of the public as the face of the Rome Police Department.

In 2018, I took on the role as the President of the Phillip S. McDonald Police Benevolent Association. This was during a time when morale at the police department was at an all time low, and we had seen an unprecedented exodus of 17 patrol officers leaving the department. This stemmed from a hostile relationship between the administration and the patrol division. After my efforts to mend the relationship were stymied, we were left with just legal action. After seeking arbitration on several issues, the union was able to prove several areas of misconduct by the administration, including, for the first time in New York State, the presence of a ticket quota system. This was a major victory for our union and the first step in the right direction for increasing morale. I continued this role until my retirement in 2022.

Unfortunately in 2018 while working in my capacity as a SWAT operator, I sustained a career ending injury to my neck and shoulder. After surgery and several other medical procedures, I was never able to be fully medically cleared to return to full active duty as a police officer. In 2022, I made the hard decision to medically retire from the career and department that I loved dearly. This obviously was a difficult decision, but I felt it was in the best interest of the department and the community.

Just a short time ago my wife and I purchased our home which sits just outside of the City line, 1,500 feet to be exact. At the time we purchased our home, I was not considering an elective office. That has since changed and I am eager to serve my community once again which is the reason I am running for Mayor of the City of Rome. I AM a Roman. I LOVE where I live. I shop in Rome, patronize local restaurants with my family and friends, attend and participate in Rome’s community events and will send my son to Rome Public Schools. Rome will always be my home. My wife and I have recently purchased my childhood home in Rome and I will meet the residency requirement prior to being sworn into office in January 2024.

After reflecting on a career in public safety, my desire to continue serving the community I love as Mayor has never been greater. I found myself realizing that I missed the involvement with our community and after speaking with several residents, business owners, and city employees it was clear that the community was ready for a change in leadership. I thought long and hard about the decision to run and believe that I could bring a lot to the office of the Mayor.

I look forward to meeting with as many residents and businesses as possible over the coming months to listen to your concerns. If you are interested in meeting with me please reach out to the campaign and let me know. I want to earn your support. Thank you for your consideration.