About Me

I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and in Brooklyn, New York.  My parents were college professors, my father in comparative literature, and my mother in elementary education.  My mother’s job running the teacher training program at Hunter College made a strong impression on me.  It is through her that I gained my respect for teachers and the importance of a quality education. I went to college at the University of Chicago where I majored in history and then to the University of Michigan where I got my Master’s in public policy.  

In 1990, my wife Karen Davis and I chose to make Newton our home when our first child was 1 year old, relocating from New York City to the Boston area where we first met in 1978. Our two children, Jeffrey and Peter, attended Newton public schools graduating from Newton South High School. My wife and I were active members of the Williams School PTO where I ran the annual book fair for several years and Karen served on the board of the afterschool program. We also became active in the Unitarian Universalist church in West Newton where Karen and I taught Sunday school.  Jeffrey, now a guidance counselor at Concord-Carlisle High School, resides in Brighton with his wife, Caroline, and their toddler, Connor. Peter, who works in real estate rentals, lives with me in Newton. Karen was diagnosed with brain cancer in September 2022.  Peter and I were able to take care of Karen and keep her at home until she died last April.  She was a wonderful partner for 42 years and a brilliant administrator, retiring from Brown University as Vice-President of Human Resources in 2017. 

My 50-year career in Boston and New York City focused on child welfare administration in government and non-profit organizations.  The job I retired from after 14 years in 2018 was as Executive Director of Parents Helping Parents (PHP), a parent support organization that offers confidential parent support groups and runs the Parental Stress Line, a 24-hour helpline for parents. During my time as Executive Director, we greatly expanded our prison group program. These groups provide inmates with a safe space to talk about family problems and how to resume parenting after their release. I continue to run one weekly support group as a volunteer at the Middlesex County jail in Billerica. 

My deep dive into Newton's civic matters began in 2018 when a large-scale development was proposed at the Riverside Green Line terminus. The Lower Falls and Auburndale neighborhoods were concerned about excessive traffic on local streets and the environmental issues such a large-scale development would generate. I chaired the neighborhood committee and was part of the negotiating team that advocated for a smaller development to reduce the impact on the adjacent neighborhoods. With support from our Ward 4 councilors, especially Chris Markiewicz and Lenny Gentile, we reached an agreement with the developer for a development of 1 million square feet, one-third commercial and two-thirds housing. We are very proud that this compromise was approved unanimously by the City Council in October 2020.

As Ward 4 councilor, I will follow in the footsteps of Chris Markiewicz and Jay Harney who have both endorsed me. I will represent the views of Auburndale and Lower Falls residents faithfully and work to make city services responsive to the daily needs of all Ward 4 residents.