Thank you for considering me for Town Commissioner. Oxford is our home (and only home). We could not be happier with our decision to move here after many years of visiting close friends in Oxford. This is a special place, and I believe that, as Commissioner, I can contribute to keeping it that way.
I grew up in a small town in western Iowa where I lived until I moved to Iowa State for college, graduating in 1980. After graduation, I spent a year in Florida where I worked first as an editor at the St. Petersburg Times and then at the Sarasota Journal. Rose and I married at the end of that year and we moved to DC for me to attend Georgetown University law school.
Having both grown up in Iowa, Rose and I had intended to return to the Midwest after I got my law degree. However, by then she was a journalist for a chain of suburban daily newspapers in Northern Virginia, and the professional opportunities for me with law firms in Washington, DC, were too good to pass up.
I spent the next 20 years as an associate, and then partner, with WilmerHale, a large international firm in DC. I then became lead in-house counsel for the Washington Redskins NFL franchise, for which I had done legal work for several years. I spent six years with the Redskins, including several years as both General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer.
In 2011, I returned to WilmerHale as a partner, where I continued to represent the team and its owner as well as a number of domestic and international corporations in arbitrations, internal investigations, and litigation. I retired at the end of 2018.
Rose and I have three children who live in Washington, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn. We have two grandchildren: a newborn granddaughter and a grandson who is almost three years old. We look forward to seeing the kids and grandkids more and more now that we are retired here in Oxford.
I have taken up piano in retirement and run in our lovely (and, thankfully, flat) village as often as I can.
In recent news: Rose and I have just finished our first book. It is a historical account of her great-grandfather, who was a notorious murderer, thief, and brothel-owner in Des Moines at the turn of the last century. It was quite the research project and even we were surprised at the details we uncovered. Our publisher has set a release date for late 2025.
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, Magna Cum
Laude, 1984
B.S., Journalism and Political Science, Iowa State University, 1980
2011-2018: Partner, WilmerHale, Washington, DC (retired as of Jan. 1, 2019)
2005-2011: General Counsel, Chief Operating Officer, Washington Redskins NFL football team; President, Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation
1985-2005: Associate, Partner, Hiring Partner, Wilmer Cutler Pickering/WilmerHale, Washington, DC
1984-85: Judicial Clerk, Judge Thomas Flannery, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
1980-81: Copy editor, St. Petersburg Times, News Editor, Sarasota (FL) Journal
Over the past two years, our Town Commission has failed us on:
My opponent has been on the wrong side of these issues. With a three-member Commission, the vote of a single member is often the deciding factor.
I had no aspirations with respect to elective office when we moved to Oxford. But following an initial difficult experience with the Historic Commission and then observing and participating in Town Commission meetings over the past several years, friends and acquaintances here convinced me that I had something to offer.
I have the experience to help us make needed improvements, minimize damage already done, and avoid repeating errors.
As a relative newcomer to Oxford, I hold no allegiance to any specific person, group or faction.
I have decades of experience navigating conflicts among deeply entrenched political and financial interests.
I can objectively evaluate issues brought before the Commission and apply sound, independent judgment to their resolution.
Our town government should respond equally to all citizens with no special treatment based on personal connections.
This should apply to membership on our volunteer commissions.
We are fortunate to live in a town filled with smart, experienced and qualified people. We must ensure that we make the most of their talents
Commissioners must pay closer attention to the actions and decision-making of our volunteer commissions and their members.
Whether it concerns zoning, elections, or the historic district, all commission members must receive the training needed to understand their responsibilities and be accountable for their actions.
Inadequate communication and lack of responsiveness from Commissioners has led to many of our current divisions.
Too often, questions are acknowledged but not answered.
Every Commissioners meeting should have open discussions about the issues at hand, and Commissioners should provide answers to the questions asked.