I grew up on Vancouver Island and my parents were both high school teachers. I have lived with my wife and daughter in West Vancouver for the past 10 years. I work as a senior planner with the City of Vancouver with the Street Activities branch, which develops projects like the Neighbourhood Plazas and the Gastown and Granville Street Pedestrian Zones. I am very active in our community, serving on the Parents Advisory Council at my daughter's school, École Cedardale, as well as the non-profit boards of the West Vancouver Historical Society and West Vancouver Community Arts Council. In addition, through my board service with the BC Cycling Coalition and the BC Sustainable Energy Association, I have a track record of provincial-level advocacy.

 

I worked for the District of West Vancouver for 7 years as a Transportation Planner, championing accessible and safe walking routes to school. In addition to delivering pedestrian and cycling projects, I led the development of the Pedestrian Network Study, which highlights streets needing pedestrian safety improvements, with schools being the highest priority. As a professional planner, I bring people together to find solutions to challenging issues. Serving on provincial and local non-profit boards has given me a strong background in governance, accountability and collaborative decision-making. 

 

West Vancouver, Bowen Island, and Lions Bay need a trustee who combines a parent’s perspective with deep roots in local planning and community governance. I offer the oversight needed to foster academic innovation, maintain safe schools, and ensure that everyone's voices are represented.

 

How I will advocate for young British Columbians:

 

1. Safe Schools
I will advocate for safe, well-lit walking and biking paths, along with transit connections to schools, to help students stay healthy and cut down on traffic. Inside schools, we need to ensure that every student is protected from bullying, discrimination, and harassment. 

2. Innovative Programs
We need to equip youth with adaptable skills for a rapidly changing job market, including digital literacy, AI ethics, critical thinking, financial planning, and climate resilience. Schools should expand access to modern vocational trades, creative arts, entrepreneurship programs, and real-world internships that connect classroom learning to practical career pathways.

3. Student Well-Being
I will ask to integrate more dedicated mental health professionals and counselors to tackle stress, anxiety, and burnout among students. We also need to cultivate environments that actively validate diverse identities, cultures, and neurodivergent learning needs.

4. Collaborative Governance
I would like to increase active student involvement in decision-making by developing forums where youth voices can help to shape policy. In terms of reporting, schools need to expand the ways it reports out on board decisions, policies, and budgets in a clear way in order to demystify how choices are made and how student input can be applied.

5. Upgraded Infrastructure
I will advocate for increased funding for classrooms with new technology and dynamic spaces designed for collaborative learning. To adapt to climate change and maintain a comfortable learning environment, investments need to be made in rooftop solar and modern heat pump technology to provide energy-efficient, year-round classroom heating and cooling while reducing carbon emissions.