I was born into a hard-working middle class family of Irish and Italian descent in Warwick in 1966. My mother, a homemaker who later returned to school to become an RN and my father, a public school teacher, moved our family of five to North Kingstown in 1974. There, my parents divorced. But, putting their children first, my parents raised us with a strong sense of character, compassion for others as well as a sound work ethic.
I attended NK public schools and earned a BA in History and German at URI. After college, I continued my education as an intern in the US Senate, The Atlantic Council and the German Parliament eventually going on to earn a Master's in History at Catholic University. I initially began a career in business but then, feeling a need to give back to my community and follow in my father's footsteps, I became a public educator. I have been proudly teaching History in RI public high schools since 1996.
During my youth, my father instilled a sense of value in the importance of remembering where we came from and honoring those historical figures who rose to the occasion to make crucial differences in the lives of others and their communities. I now share these stories and have added many of my own with my students. While not always perfect, there have been key figures including Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King who embody the democratic ideal that government can and should be a force for positive change in society. Embracing this ideal, and informed by my knowledge of history and civics, along with my political campaign experience, I embarked on another journey of public service as your state senator in 2001. I also served as a member of the North Kingstown School Committee where I successfully worked to approve a revised school bond to build a new middle school and to do much-needed repairs and renovations in our excellent school system.
Saving the best for last, I'm proud to say that in 2007, I met my amazing wife, Meredith. She is the best friend and partner anyone could hope for. We currently reside in North Kingstown and together with Meredith, we have achieved our greatest accomplishment, our wonderful three children: Colin, Liam and Abigail.