As a 20+ year military veteran, I have personally experienced the challenges of navigating the retiree and veterans’ systems. When I arrived at the Legislature, I was surprised and disappointed to discover there was no Veterans’ Caucus—made up of veteran Delegates and Senators, regardless of political affiliation—focused exclusively on advancing the issues that matter most to veterans and their families. So, I started a Veterans’ Caucus and have been the Chairman ever since. Today, the West Virginia Legislature’s Veterans’ Caucus includes 21 members from both the House and Senate, representing 15.7% of the entire Legislature.

Why submarines?  As a young man I wanted to become a naval architect in order to design ships and submarines.  I earned an NROTC scholarship and went to NY Maritime College, where in addition to becoming a naval architect, I spent my summers in the engine room of the Training Ship EMPIRE STATE earning my merchant marine 3rd Assistant Engineer’s license.  So when it came time to join the Navy after graduation, as a single young man, I wanted to something different than surface ships, I wanted to work with smart people, visit foreign ports and do something “sexy,” and I was fortunate enough to be assigned to the fast attack submarine USS SPADEFISH (SSN 668) as the Communications & Electronics Material Officer.

My emphasis on Veterans’ issues include:

Navigating and accessing the maze of Veterans resources and benefits.

Increasing funding and simplifying access to Veterans Health Care, particularly focusing on the treatment of PTSD, Veterans benefits and attracting more Veterans (back) to West Virginia as residents.

During the 2025 summer I attended the American Legislative Exchange Council Annual meeting and participated in the Veterans and Military Affairs Task Force where I brought back to Charleston a possible solution to providing a “one stop shop:” where the WV military community can connect with vetted nonprofits and other resources through a shopping cart experience, ensuring veterans have access to the right resources at the right time.  Additionally, I learned about the possible use of Ibogaine and Psilocybin for the treatment of Veterans for opioid addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) respectively.