I was raised in an union household. My father is a retired Teamster and instilled in me early on, the value of honest work. My childhood was spent learning the value and benefits of organized labor from my dad. His involvement in the union provided our family with a solid middle-class upbringing that valued an honest day's pay for an honest day's effort. Those values shape my life as an elected official, carpenter and as a citizen.

Whether taking up the trade, attending college, or both, kids from union homes, like myself, gain a lifelong educational legacy of understanding working families. Today, I get to employ those lessons taught to me by my dad through my work as a member of the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters. Every day I get the privilege of advancing the cause of equality and fairness in the workplace, with a deep understanding that by uplifting construction industry standards I have the ability to help every worker...union or not.

I learned a saying a long time ago during my college fraternity days that underscore the value I see of the labor movement to our society as a whole: "We...Us...Our...Every Minute, Every Hour". It carries a special meaning to me. WE fight everyday to ensure a quality way of life for all of US to enjoy, so that OUR next generation will be able to live and prosper.  We...Us...Our!!!