I grew up in Medicine Hat, the son of working-class parents who would go on to become successful business owners. My sisters and I grew up in modest houses, learned the value of hard work, respect, and doing the best we could in any situation.

I was in the unique cohort that transitioned with St. Mary’s from an elementary to junior high school in 1994, and then graduated from McCoy in 2000. Unlike most of my peers, I only attended two schools in my life prior to college and university. I think the takeaway was something in the vein of stability and familiarity breeding a certain amount of comfort. In both schools, I can vividly remember smart, challenging teachers who instilled a desire for rationality, reason, and philosophy. I can recall many discussions with Mr. Cullen, Mr. West, Mrs. Glasgo, Mr. Kelly, Mrs. Pahl, and many more about subjects not necessarily germane to the curriculum, but that provided me with insight that was a basis for lifelong curiosity.

Both of my grandfathers were entrepreneurs and businessmen. Harvey Maser owned land & farms, apartment buildings, and half of Maser’s Lumber with his brother George. Both of them died way too young, and my father (who had worked at Maser’s for a decade already), became one of the managers with the two Maser boys up until it closed at the turn of the millennium.

Cecil Koch had a successful trucking and feed hauling business and was an all-around handy and creative guy who juggled work and family life gracefully. So, it wasn’t a surprise when my parents went into business together with Sofas & More in 2001; they had come by it honestly. It was a considerably bigger surprise when I called my sister Jen in Sept. 2020 and said, “hey, if I move home (from Toronto) in a year, do you want to open a restaurant with me?” Her answer was a quick and decisive “YES!” and after a couple years of finding the right situation, we became third-generation business owners when Hometown Culinary opened its doors on Nov. 30, 2024.

I originally went to college & university to become a teacher, which I think really informs the way I like to deal with people. I try to be calm, rational, professional, and serious. I make decisions based on information over emotion, and try to be as informed as possible before forming an opinion.

I am a sponge for information, and an absolute nerd for all things space, politics, music, and food. My radio & TV are pretty much always tuned to CBC instead of rock radio & sports, and my Youtube history is anything from Last Week Tonight to If You’re Listening to Al Jazeera’s Start Here to Useful Charts to Astrum to PBS Eons.

I moved to Toronto as an idealistic 21-year-old chasing a rockstar dream. It was fun and chaotic and exhausting, and while I still play music to this day, it ultimately wasn’t a career. Cooking was, and it remains how I define myself today.

There are plenty of days, however, where I don't feel like a chef. I'm a blender surgeon and an amateur plumber. I re-hang fallen shelves and I'm a renegade chemist. I'm the MacGuyver of leftovers and a soup sorcerer. I find things in the fridge that we "definitely don't have any more of". I can't remember why I came around the corner, but I can re-call the last dozen chits. I count my life in coffee spoons.

I was fortunate to find myself in multiple different roles that were rewarding, challenging, and set me up with transferable skills that have furthered my career and kept me humble. I ran some pubs & diners, but then completely oversold my resume and became the F&B Manager and Executive Chef at Sheridan College’s campuses in Oakville and eventually Mississauga & Brampton for just under eight years.

From there, I was headhunted to join Shopify to open their business dining program at their beautifully renovated downtown Toronto offices. During COVID I bounced around to a high-volume production kitchen, York University, and eventually the legendary Bishop Strachan All-Girls’ Private School. Too many other life events got in the way, though, and I made the decision to return to my roots in Medicine Hat.

My resume was fairly stacked by this point, and I was hired by the City of Medicine Hat as the Food & Beverage Manager, overseeing hospitality operations for Co-op Place and the Esplanade, as well as many other catering and event opportunities.

Working for the City gave me immense insight into the myriad services they provide, especially in the Community Development unit, which F&B falls under. I was fortunate to be in meetings and involved in events with members of Council and City Hall, the MH Library, Duggan House, Transit, City Planning, and many others.

We did a lot of community-based events like MHHS Grad, MHC Convocation, Methanex’s annual Christmas Party, Minor Hockey & Tiger events, and feeding almost every visiting WHL team a post-game meal. I made invaluable connections with key members of the administration and management teams, and I like to think I have enough inside knowledge to have an advantage over many other candidates for this reason.

I am proud of many of the initiatives the current and past councils have spearheaded, and there is much I want to see continued and expanded. I also have fresh ideas and a big city perspective that is sometimes outside the box.

I want to be realistic about Medicine Hat’s future, but also idealistic and forward-thinking. We need population growth. We need financial stability. We need to take care of people and feel like a community.

We need to spend money on things that aren’t always popular headline makers, but are nonetheless important. We need to support people with programs that don’t turn a profit, and we need profitable ventures to fund them.

My former colleagues and staff members will tell you I am generally easy to work with, a natural leader, and willing to hear multiple perspectives. I am decisive, and I have strong opinions that are loosely held. I have some principles that cannot be compromised, but I am always open to new ideas that are well thought out and reasonable.

I strive to be inclusive, progressive, and an ally to marginalized and under-represented groups. I want to represent all of Medicine Hat as a City Councillor, not just people who agree with me or align with me politically.