Investing in Skills, Powering our Economy: A Vision for District 35

When I read about the upcoming investments in apprenticeship programs, I got genuinely excited not just because of the dollars involved, but because of what those investments make possible for communities like ours in District 35.

Workforce development isn’t an abstract concept to me. It’s the work I’ve spent my career doing: building systems that connect education to real jobs, helping people gain skills that matter in today’s economy, and creating pipelines that don’t leave anyone behind. I understand how these ecosystems work because I’ve helped design them from early education and digital literacy all the way through postsecondary training and workforce placement. That cradle-to-career lens matters.

Apprenticeships are one of the smartest tools we have right now. They align education with employer needs, reduce barriers to entry, and give people a chance to earn while they learn. When done well, they don’t just change individual lives they strengthen entire regional economies. Employers get skilled workers. Workers get stability and upward mobility. Communities get growth that’s sustainable.

As a legislator, my job won’t just be to support good ideas it will be to make sure District 35 is positioned to actually receive and deploy these investments. That means understanding funding mechanisms, building relationships across education, industry, and government, and making sure local voices are part of the conversation when decisions are being made. My background in technology and workforce systems gives me the practical knowledge to do that work effectively.

This is where my core pillars come together. Strong education feeds a prepared workforce. A prepared workforce drives economic development. And economic development creates opportunity for families and young people right here at home. You can’t treat these as separate issues they are a single system, and I’ve spent years working inside that system.

If we want to power our economy, we have to power people first. That means investing in skills, aligning training with real jobs, and ensuring District 35 isn’t an afterthought when new opportunities emerge. I’m ready to bring that focus, that experience, and that urgency to the legislature because the future isn’t theoretical. It’s already being built, and we should make sure our community is part of it.