Short Version

I’m a Native American born in Louisiana who moved to Tucson after I helped start a business here back in 2007. I’ve since started a family here, and my company has grown into a successful, multinational operation.

Long Version

I was born in rural South Louisiana. My father is chairman of the Pointe-au-Chien, a small Native American tribe who traditionally lives along the bayous and swamps of Louisiana's coast.

As I was growing up, my father made a living as a fisherman, catching shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico. Early on, he started giving me work: reinforcing nets, going out on the boat, doing repairs, cleaning up, etc. Dad taught me to work hard without complaint.

When I was born, my family lived in a mobile home, and throughout most of grade school I was enrolled in the free or reduced price school lunch program. In order to ease the financial burden I placed on my family, I found a job almost as soon as I was legally allowed to do so.

I benefitted from an excellent public education, with teachers who encouraged me to develop a hunger for knowledge. This hunger drove me to pursue a comprehensive college education.

I worked my way through college, paying for my own books and tuition with assistance from financial aid programs. I held multiple jobs while in college, which was not ideal for getting the most out of my education, though I managed to learn a lot despite the pressure. I graduated with minimal debt and an investment in the company that brought me to Arizona.

I've fallen in love with every aspect of Southern Arizona, from the people and the landscape to the distinct lack of hurricanes. I do believe Tucson will be my home for the rest of my days.

I’ve served as a Precinct Committeeperson for several years. I’ve also served as secretary for Democrats of Greater Tucson.

I currently live and work in Midtown Tucson along with my wife, two children, and our two cats.

I'm known for being quiet, observant, and hard-working. I am a big nerd, having grown up on books, video games, and the Internet. I like to balance that nerdiness by getting outside when I can and hiking the mountains around Tucson, traveling around the country and abroad, and biking around town. 

Education

I attended public schools in South Louisiana, graduating from South Terrebonne High School.

I graduated from Nicholls State University with a bachelor's degree in Mass Communication and a minor in Government. I studied a wide range of subjects beyond my major, including business administration, economics, psychology, criminal justice, marketing, art, and history. As part of my Mass Communications degree, I particularly took to journalistic ethics and civil rights. In my studies of Government, I focused on constitutional law.

I don’t believe education is ever truly complete. I have, for instance, taken additional classes at Pima Community College to brush up on some programming.

Professional History

My father put me to work early on, and I got a job almost as soon as I was legally old enough to do so. I have been almost constantly employed ever since, working my way through high school and college. The details of most of my work history is not terribly relevant to running for office, except insofar as it reveals that I have a wide range of experience and have respect and understanding for everyone who works for a living.

For what it's worth, before my current job as a business owner, I have been a stock boy at a grocery store, a video game salesman, a security guard, a computer technician, and a graphic designer.

In 2007, I helped found an online retail company called Fangamer here in Tucson. Starting a business was a struggle for many years, but it has since grown into a multi-million dollar company with dozens of employees and satellite operations in Europe and Asia.

We attribute much of our success to hiring great people and treating them well.