I’m a long-time community activist and volunteer organizer with deep roots in grassroots civic engagement across the Tampa Bay area. My work has focused on empowering neighbors, strengthening local institutions, and turning community concerns into coordinated local action. Early on, I helped pioneer hyperlocal online organizing by launching one of Tampa’s first neighborhood blogs, which became a platform for mobilizing residents, sharing information, and driving real-world impact on public safety, neighborhood preservation, and accountability.

Beyond digital organizing, I’ve served in hands-on volunteer leadership roles including neighborhood watch efforts, civic association boards, and public-safety task forces. As organizing tools evolved, I continued applying grassroots principles through email lists and platforms like Nextdoor to combat fraud, improve communication, and strengthen neighborhood trust. Across decades of activism, my approach has remained consistent: listen first, organize collaboratively, and build stronger communities from the ground up.

Background

...... Army brat, the only US born member of my family. My father was the only US born member of his family. As a young child lived some time in Augsburg, Germany and Chuquicamata, Chile. While in grade school in Pleasant Hill, California, I had my first exposure to computers using teletype terminals at the Lawrence Livermore Hall of Science.

..... In the mid to late 70's, while living in Clearwater Beach, Florida, I was taught community activism by local activist / Beach Views newspaper owner/editor Anne McKay Garris.

...... Alumni of Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines (1982) where I was imbued with Jesuit social activism "A Man for Others". Lived (1977 to 1984) during a time of political turmoil which included martial law under the regime of Ferdinand Marcos; the assassination of the leading political opposition figure and former Ateneo alumnus Ninoy Aquino; and the beginnings of the "People Power" movement which lead to the downfall of the regime.

Volunteer Activities

...... In 1999 while living in Turtle Lakes Subdivision, in Lutz, Fl helped organize a fight to try to stop an over- density subdivision, which also rejuvenated the Turtle Lakes Civic Association.

...... Lived in Seminole Heights (Tampa, Florida) for 7 years where I essentially experienced a Masters Degree in Civic Activism.
* Created the highly popular hyperlocal "must read" Seminole Heights Blog (now inactive)
* Moderator of the Hillsborough County Prostitution Task Force
* Member of the Southeast Seminole Heights Neighborhood Watch Vehicle Patrol
* Historian / Board member Southeast Seminole Heights Civic Association - Neighborhoods USA 2003 Neighborhood of the Year
* Member of the Southeast Seminole Heights Home Improvement Team
* Founder and moderator of 190 member Southeast Seminole Heights neighborhood email group

...... Lived in Windemere Subdivision in Lutz, Florida for 9 years
* Past Board member and President of Windemere Special Dependent District. During a time of economic downturn, initiated and led a referendum of registered voters in Windemere Subdivision to increase the assessed maximum tax from $50.00 per annum per improved residential parcel to $100.00 per annum per improved residential parcel. 71.43% voted yes.
* Founder and Neighborhood Lead for WindemereSubdivision.nextdoor.com. I was an early adopter of Nextdoor. A little more than a month after the national launch of Nextdoor, I created the 5th site in the greater Tampa Bay area. In 2016 there were more than 1,700 neighborhood sites in the greater Tampa area and currently there are 283,000 sites in the United States. Doggedly facilitated growth of the website membership - 209 neighbors (61% of 225 households) from Dec 2011 to June 2016.

...... Lived in the Disston Heights / Harshaw area in St. Petersburg, Florida for 10 years.
* One of 4 Neighborhood Leads for Harshaw.Nextdoor.com
* in 2018 built and began curating the Curiosity Cupboard Little Free Library - charter #83161
* Created a neighborhood block chat group for 10 households on 28th Ave N.

News Articles

"He started a virtual movement" - St. Petersburg Times - September 29, 2006
"Fightin' Words: Seminole Heights residents want their neighborhood section back."- Creative Loafing - February 22, 2006
“Meet Tampa Bay's best-read bloggers" - St. Petersburg Times - September 21, 2005

“East Tampa crime sweep includes counselors” - Tampa Bay Times - May 13, 2003

“Tampa Neighbors Use Nextdoor to Fight Back Against Counterfeiters at Yard Sale” - WFTS - ABC Tampa - May 19, 2016