I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1964. My three older brothers and younger sister and I grew up in the city in my grandmother's house where we lived with our mother and grandmother.

After graduating from Southern High School in 1982, I began working at Belt's warehouse in Howard County. After I obtained my commercial driver’s license I worked for Kane Transfer loading semi-trailers on freight trains in the CSX railroad yard in Baltimore. In 1989 I began working for the state at the new Seagirt Marine Terminal in Dundalk Maryland. In 1990 I transferred to the State Railroad Administration to take a job in the Freight Division inspecting the "short line" tracks owned by the state.

In 1991 the State Railroad Administration was merged with the Mass Transit Administration and I was transferred to the Operating Division of MARC Train Service. I am now the supervisor of train operations. Responsible for implementing emergency plans and coordinating alternate transportation during emergencies such as derailments and grade crossing accidents.

In 1983 I married Diana Goins. Diana is a nurse on the staff of at Mountain Manor Treatment Center. Diana and I have three children: Amanda, Brian and Elizabeth.

All three of my children are active and participate in civic activities. The whole family enjoys working for the Lions Club on Community Day.

Like many of you, I moved to Emmitsburg because we liked the small size and friendliness of the town, and thought a small town would be a better place to raise our kids. My wife has family in Thurmont so we often visited the area and liked what we saw. Her uncles, Jesse and James Ketterman, once owned the apartment building (the old Slagal Hotel) on the square in Emmitsburg.

In 1995, we moved into a house in Silo Hill. Shortly thereafter, I found myself wanting to return something to the community, so I volunteered for newly formed Streets and Transportation committee. My experiences on this committee help generate a desire to do even more, and in 1998 I ran for town commissioner. While I lost, I was undeterred. Shortly thereafter, Mayor Carr appointed me to a vacant seat on the Town Council. On my second run, I won the three-year term seat outright.

In addition to my duties as Commissioner, I also serve as the liaison to the Planning and Zoning Commission. In 2001, I found my self-wanting to do more for the community.  I decided to throw my hat in to the ring for the 2002 Mayor election.  As Mayor, I wanted to open the lines of communication more between the residents and the Town Government to create a more user-friendly government.