Born in Pocatello, Idaho, I was raised by two hardworking parents who instilled in me and my siblings a strong sense of community responsibility and civic duty. My father, a technician for the Idaho National Laboratory and avid sportsman, taught me the value of honest work and a connection to the land through countless memorable days spent hunting and fishing. My mother, a public school teacher for over three decades, made sure we understood the importance of education and the critical role access to information plays in strengthening our democracy.

After graduating from Pocatello High School, I enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where I served for a total of eight years, including four years in active duty as a Damage Controlman. During active duty, I deployed to the Persian Gulf on a six-month Western Pacific Cruise. I was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal over my four years of active duty. After completing my service with the Navy, I was honorably discharged on June 21, 1997.

A few short months after leaving the Navy, I joined the U.S. Forest Service as a Wildland Firefighter, working out of the Moose Creek Ranger District for the next three seasons. After the third summer of fighting fire from the ground, I trained to become a Smokejumper and joined the Redmond Smokejumpers, fighting fires across several western states for the next two seasons.

Having completed my military service and five seasons with the Forest Service, I found myself in my mid-twenties contemplating next steps. From my time spent hunting and fishing in the mountains of central Idaho with my father to fighting forest fires on our vast public lands, I felt both deeply committed to the land that raised me and moved to protect it for future generations. To this end, I became involved with protest movements aimed at bringing awareness to the growing threats to our public lands locally, as well as to ecological and social justice worldwide.

In 2002, I participated in a protest here in Missoula, MT, that would totally alter the trajectory of my life. The protest, a banner hung off the Madison Street Bridge, garnered national attention for the controversial salvage logging activities on public lands and landed me on probation for the next four years. This action would also propel me into college. With financial assistance through the G.I. Bill, I completed my first three years of college at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. In the summer of 2006, I transferred to the University of Montana, where I earned my degree in English Literature in 2008.

During this time, I met my partner and began to sink my figurative and literal roots in the Missoula area. After a period of farming in the Bitterroot Valley, in 2013 my partner and I were able to purchase our own little farm here within the town limits. We immediately named it Frank’s Little Farm and welcomed our first child into the new home a brief three months later. Since that time, Frank’s Little Farm has grown to be an incredible success, and our on-site farm stand has served as a neighborhood fixture for fresh fruits and vegetables. Over the past eleven seasons, we welcomed our second child and continued to grow our farm. Our kids, now 8 and 11, both attend Missoula Public Schools and participate in several activities through Parks and Recreation. Following in my own parents’ footsteps, I am doing my best to instill values of social responsibility, a hunger for knowledge, and an abiding connection to the public lands that we are blessed with here in the Mountain West. We take every opportunity to ski at Snowbowl, hunt and fish in the mountains, and attend the educational and cultural offerings of this diverse little university town.

While my political activism looks a lot different now than it did twenty years ago, I remain committed to the ideals of environmental, social, and economic justice. As I watch my children grow up in this community, the critical importance of local politics and community engagement is apparent. This year will be my fifth year serving on the Missoula Consolidated Planning Board and my third as Board President. The Missoula Consolidated Planning Board has been an incredible opportunity to be directly involved in city planning and has provided me with significant opportunities to gain knowledge and skills that will serve me well as a member of the Missoula City Council. As a local farmer, I have also served on the board for the Missoula Farmers Market since 2014. As a board member and vendor, my continued participation with the Farmers Market allows me the opportunity to stay connected to the local farming community and to the population we serve.

As a veteran, a farmer, a parent, and a fellow community member, I look forward to the opportunity to continue my service as your representative on the Missoula City Council.