08/24/2026
My Story, My Experience, Our Future
For more than four decades, I have been proud to call Leamington home. I grew up in a wartime house on King Street, and for the past 41 years, I have watched our community grow, change, and evolve. Leamington is more than where I live—it is home. My connection to this community runs deep, and much of my life has been dedicated to working, volunteering, and giving back.
My professional journey began on February 1, 1996, when I started at the Peterson Spring Kingsville plant. From the beginning, I became actively involved in representing and advocating for my coworkers. In 2000, I was elected to the Health and Safety Committee, followed by my election as Committee Person in 2003. In 2006, I was elected Chairperson and later became Vice President of the CAW Local 1769 Executive Board. In 2011, I was acclaimed President of CAW Local 1769.
As President, I was involved in the merger of CAW Local 1769 with CAW Local 444, helping strengthen representation and build a larger and more effective local union for members across our county.
In 2016, I was appointed County Liaison Representative with Local 444, responsible for grievances and collective bargaining for five workplaces across health care, transportation, fisheries, and automotive sectors. These experiences taught me the importance of listening, communication, negotiation, accountability, and finding practical solutions.
I have continued my education through the Unifor Family Education Centre, completing courses in Collective Bargaining, Conflict Resolution, Grievance Handling, Health and Safety, and Human Rights. I believe the knowledge and skills I have gained will be valuable if I am elected to Council. Municipal government requires listening to different perspectives, understanding complex issues, resolving conflicts, working collaboratively, and making informed decisions.
In 2018, I became a Community-Based Organizer with Unifor Local 444. In 2021, I was hired as a National Staff Representative in the Organizing Department with Unifor National, where I continue to work today. My role involves recruiting and helping bring the union advantage to workplaces looking for a stronger voice and better representation.
Community involvement has always been important to me. I have volunteered with Southpoint Minor Hockey and Leamington Minor Soccer. I am also a proud father of two grown sons, Bailey and Jared, who are both thriving and working within our community. My greatest accomplishment in life is raising two successful sons who are contributing members of our community.
Why I Am Running
As I look toward serving on Council, I want to focus on the issues that matter to residents and on finding practical solutions that move Leamington forward.
The revitalization and future of our Uptown, addressing homelessness, improving access to social services, community safety, responsible growth, and ensuring our rural areas and neighbourhoods are included in our future are all important priorities.
I believe we need a municipality that listens before it acts, communicates openly with residents, and makes decisions based on what is best for the entire community. We need to connect people with the provincial and federal resources that already exist while working with our community partners and neighbouring municipalities to find effective local solutions.
Most importantly, every area of Leamington needs to be part of our vision for the future. Whether you live downtown, in an established neighbourhood, in one of our growing communities, or in our rural areas, your voice matters.
Recognizing Every Candidate
As this campaign progresses, I also want to take a moment to recognize and thank every candidate who stepped forward to serve our community.
Putting your name on a ballot is not easy. It means opening yourself up to public scrutiny, having difficult conversations, hearing criticism, and making your personal life and opinions part of a very public process. It takes courage to put yourself forward, and I have tremendous respect for anyone who has made that commitment.
Regardless of who we supported or what our individual platforms may have been, every candidate who participated in this election demonstrated a willingness to contribute to the future of Leamington. That deserves recognition.
I want to wish all of the candidates the very best in their efforts and sincerely thank them for their dedication to our community. I hope that, regardless of the outcome, we can continue to work together where possible and remember that our shared goal is a stronger Leamington.
I also want to thank everyone who has supported the Campaign for Change. Your encouragement, conversations, questions, ideas, and willingness to stand behind this movement have meant a great deal to me. No campaign is successful because of one person—it takes people who are willing to believe that their community can do better and be better.
I am proud of the conversations we have started and of the issues we have brought forward. Change is never achieved overnight, but it begins when residents become engaged, ask questions, demand accountability, and believe their voices matter.
Leamington has tremendous potential. I believe we can build on what is working, address what is not, and create a community where people feel heard, respected, safe, and proud to call Leamington home.
Thank you to every candidate, every volunteer, every supporter, and every resident who has taken the time to participate in this process.
Leamington is our home—and our future is something we build together.
