I applied for the Data Infrastructure position with MiGreatDataLake because it sits at the intersection of many threads that have shaped both my life and my career. Growing up on a farm taught me early that everything is connected. Success depended on understanding how weather, equipment, animals, crops, people, and resources worked together as a system. Later, my time in the Air Force reinforced the importance of information, coordination, discipline, and mission-focused execution. Whether on a farm or in military service, good decisions depend on having reliable information and the ability to turn that information into action. Those lessons have stayed with me throughout my work in technology, education, research, and community development.

Over the past thirty years, I have been fortunate to work across K-12 education, network infrastructure, data systems, analytics, and community partnerships. Along the way, I earned a Master of Applied Data Science from the University of Michigan School of Information, an experience that strengthened my understanding of how data, analytics, and human-centered design can be combined to support better decision-making. Today, in addition to serving as Network Convener and Collaborative Lead for the EUPConnect Collaborative, I am an Adjunct Instructor in Computer Information Systems at Bay Mills Community College, where I teach the next generation of Computer Information Systems Jedis, and a Research Fellow with the Quello Center at Michigan State University, where my work explores broadband, digital opportunity, community capacity, and data-informed policy. What has consistently motivated me is helping people move from fragmented information to shared understanding. That is one of the reasons MiGreatDataLake resonates so strongly with me. The initiative is building a statewide platform to bring together educational data that has historically been scattered across disconnected systems and make it more accessible and meaningful for educators. The project’s emphasis on data integration, interoperability, governance, and actionable insights closely mirrors the work I have been pursuing through EUPConnect, my research activities, and the Digital Opportunity Intelligence Network (DOIN). MiGreatDataLake is not simply building a data platform; it is creating the foundation for a statewide learning ecosystem.

Ultimately, I see MiGreatDataLake as an opportunity to help strengthen Michigan’s capacity to learn and act collectively. While my career has centered on technology, I have recognized for a very long time that technology alone is never the solution. Real progress comes from people, relationships, trust, shared purpose, and the ability to turn information into knowledge and knowledge into action. Whether connecting schools to broadband, teaching students at Bay Mills Community College, conducting research through the Quello Center, helping communities collaborate through EUPConnect, or exploring new approaches to collective intelligence through DOIN, my focus has always been on building the human and organizational capacity needed to create lasting change. MiGreatDataLake’s vision aligns deeply with that philosophy. The data infrastructure matters not because of the technology itself, but because it can help educators, administrators, families, and communities better understand challenges, identify opportunities, and support every learner in Michigan. I would welcome the opportunity to bring the perspective of a farm kid, a veteran, an educator, a researcher, a data scientist, a technologist, and a community builder to a project dedicated to improving outcomes for students across the state.