Legislator Details
Number of sessions served 3
Gender: Male
Age at election: 38
Vital Records Information:
Birth
Date: 7/10/1972
City: Detroit, MI
County:
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Death
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Type of Burial:
Burial
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Marital Information:
married Sylvia; children: 2, Sofia and Olivia
Number of Children: 2
Background
Religion: Catholic
Military Service: United States Navy
Occupation: urban planner
Race: Hispanic
Education:
attended Detroit Public Schools; graduated from Chadsey High School, 1990;
attended Henry Ford Community College; BA, from Eastern Michigan University in political science, 1999; master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University in public administration, 2005
Biographical Sketch:
He served as a Petty Officer Third Class in the Navy. During his enlistment he was involved in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and relief efforts in Bosnia, Somalia and Haiti. He worked his way through college at a local hotel, changing sheets and washing dishes. One of his first jobs was as a community organizer for the Census 2000 campaign. He worked for Councilman Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr. in Detroit as a legislative assistant. He completed the Michigan Political Leadership Program in 2002.
He went on to work in the private sector as a transportation planner for an engineering firm for ten years. In January 2017 he was appointed by Governor Rick Snyder as the tri-county deputy in the Michigan Office of Urban Initiatives.
Notable Facts:
He was the first college graduate in his family.
Lost his place as minority vice chair of the Agriculture Committee due to his involvement in a physical altercation with Rep. Charles Brunner on the House floor in Dec. 2011.
Sessions Served:
Committees Served On: Appropriations , Appropriations Subcommittee on Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Appropriations Subcommittee on Supplementals, Appropriations Subcommittee on Community Health, Education
City of Residence: Detroit
County of Residence Wayne
Reason for Leaving Office: Term Limited
End of Term Status: Departed
Committees Served On: Military and Veterans' Affairs , Commerce , Michigan Competitiveness
City of Residence: Detroit
County of Residence Wayne
Reason for Leaving Office:
Notes: He also served on the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.
Committees Served On: Energy and Technology , Insurance
City of Residence: Detroit
County of Residence Wayne
District Description: Part of the city of Detroit [see map in Manual p.272] in Wayne County
Reason for Leaving Office:
End of Term Status: Re-elected
Notes: Stripped of all committee assignments 6/8/2012 as a result of “repeated inappropriate conduct on the House floor.” His removal from the House Transportation and Energy and Technology committees came at the request of House Minority Leader Richard Hammel [per Gongwer News Update 6/8/2012.]
Bibliography:
Rep's web page 2011; Capitol2011 p.53; Manaul2015 p.222, includes picture
