How I give back

The State of California’s Strategic Growth Council funds the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Program to support community-led planning, development, and implementation of projects that deliver meaningful environmental, health, and economic benefits.

The Urban Collaborative Project was awarded a two-year TCC Planning Grant to launch the Community Planning Collaborative for a Green Southeastern San Diego, with an initial focus on the neighborhoods of Chollas View, Emerald Hills, and Lincoln Park (the TCC Planning Area). I serve on the advisory board for this initiative and take great pride in contributing to a vision of a healthier, more sustainable city for future generations.

I have volunteered with several organizations dedicated to maintaining, upgrading, and restoring our communities, including Circle of Heroes, The Mission Continues, and San Diego Habitat for Humanity. In addition, my wife, children, and I often spend weekend mornings picking up trash along our neighborhood streets and at our local elementary school.

As Travis Manion so powerfully said before his final deployment to Iraq in 2007 where he was killed while saving his fellow Marines, “If not me, then who?” That mindset continues to guide my commitment to service and community stewardship.

I am an avid blood donor and am nearing 10 gallons in lifetime donations. I believe this is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to help save lives and support people in need.

I enjoy coordinating volunteer events for friends and family to help sort food that will be distributed to families throughout San Diego County. Access to nutritious food is essential, and many families are often forced to choose between buying groceries and paying other critical expenses.