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Tell us about yourself.
I am a man who loves Northeast Ohio and wants to see it become all that it has the potential to be. I was born in Cleveland, live in Cleveland, work in Cleveland and have a deep passion to serve the people of Cleveland and District 10. Grateful to be married to my incredible wife Leah. We were married at Mall C in Downtown Cleveland earlier this year. Grateful to be the Vice President of Cleveland Child Care and Early Learning Center. Prior to my current role I was the Director of Government and Community Relations for Friends of Breakthrough Schools, was a Candidate for Mayor of Cleveland in 2009 and also have over 10 years of solid business experience mostly working with small business owners.
What was the motivation behind your decision to enter politics?
My heart to serve, my love of the people of Cleveland and District 10 and my passion to make sure every child has a quality education.
How have you succeeded or failed in these endeavors?
I don’t see life as succeeding or failing, just lessons learned. The beauty of life is that it is a gift. We only get one shot down here and I certainly do not want to waste it. That being said, loosing my first election in 2009 taught me more about humility and how difficult it is to win an election.
Why do you think Latinos voter are important in this election?
Latinos are important because they are an important voice of our community, State and Nation. The near west side of District 10 has a strong concentration of Latinos and I want to be sure that they are represented with excellence in the State Legislature.
What are your top three tips for being an effective leader?
1. Genuinely care about people. 2. Be humble. 3. Be a great listener.
You always talk about education, Why your emphasis on education?
Education is the great equalizer because it opens the doors of opportunity for all citizens. I believe the fulfillment of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness has to have a strong foundation of quality education. Dreams come true when individuals have sound minds and educational and community resources available to them.
In my opinion education impacts poverty, so, what’s the role of poverty in education?
Without a high school or college degree or vocational training in a global economy, citizens are at a big disadvantage in finding good paying jobs. Statistics show that the path to education success has to be demonstrated in one’s early years and that is why parental involvement and quality early learning opportunities are essential for our children. I believe with all of my heart that if an individual has a strong education they are significantly less likely to be in poverty.
Since you have been an active part of the Education, what is your opinion about the present day education system?
I believe Mayor Jackson and CMSD CEO Eric Gordon are showing great leadership and that the community is strongly behind their efforts. That being said, Cleveland, NE Ohio, Ohio and the United States should be leading the way in education outcomes for children. Until District 10 is the #1 district in Ohio, Ohio is the #1 education state in the Nation and The United States of America is #1 in the world we all have a lot of work to be done.
Do you think education should be in-depth and related to diverse fields or should be career oriented right from the start?
I believe we should allow children the most flexibility as possible to discover their passions at an early age so that they can be on a path to achieving their dreams and finding the job that will most fulfill them.
Any message you would like to be conveyed to the youth through this platform?
You have an important voice and you need to be heard. The youth represent the leadership of tomorrow and we need to do all we can to provide them with all the opportunities so that they can represent a new generation of leaders that lead with excellence. Leadership is about service to others and I would encourage our youth to look for opportunities to serve people and causes that desire to make our community and world a better place.
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