I was born in Utah and have spent my entire life residing in the Salt Lake Valley. I enjoy the people and the mountains and have never found another place that I would rather live.

I started at UPS in 1990, at eighteen years old. The part-time job worked with my college schedule. As a part-time employee I worked in nearly every capacity at UPS over seven years. I had no intention of making UPS a career but when the opportunity to become a delivery driver arose, I decided to try it. The job was demanding. There were no overtime protections at the time and most days were dreadfully long. Fortunately my route was close to home so my wife and son could meet me at the park for lunch.

I had been driving for three months when we went on strike in 1997. I got to know my co-workers during the strike by sharing time on the picket line. It was inspiring to see the support of other union brothers and sisters and the public as their support was key to our success.

In 2004 after seven years of delivering I moved to Feeders which would be my last job at UPS. The schedules were a challenge, and the hours were long but the job itself was very enjoyable.

During my time at UPS, I was an activist, volunteering my time organizing, educating members, and holding management accountable. I served as a steward in both the Package and Feeder Operations. The job of the steward was rewarding, and I developed many friendships with co-workers through my activism.

In 2007 I was asked to fill a trustee position on the executive board. I served in this capacity for two years and then became recording secretary.

In 2010 I was offered a business agent position. This was the hardest job I had ever done but I learned fast and had great mentors. Every day in this role presented new challenges.

After serving the members in this role for three years there was a vacancy in the Secretary-Treasurer position. I assumed that other leaders in the local would be eager to fill the position but to my surprise I received the encouragement and endorsement of my co-workers to take the helm of the Local.

 Like many other unions we had suffered significant losses in membership due to closures, deregulation, and economic conditions. The first goal was to organize more workers. The second was to build a war chest so that we had the resources to take on any employer.

In nine years, we increased the membership by 70%. With the new members and wise spending, the general fund grew by over 300%. More members and more resources have made Local 222 a powerhouse in the labor movement.

I have been very fortunate to be at the member’s service in this position for the last nine years. I have a truly amazing staff that works hard for the members every day.