When serious health issues affected my family, I found myself thinking about more than the next public hearing or political disagreement. I started asking whether the way I was spending my time reflected what matters most, and whether our community could be in a better place than one constantly defined by conflict.
Walking the parks and trails near home gave me room to think. Away from meetings and public debate, I could step back and consider how quickly disagreements can take over, and how much we lose when the fight becomes more important than the community we want to build.
That reflection helped shape my call for a temporary pause on new data center applications in Prince William County. I believe residents and county leaders need time to understand what is already proposed, consider the effects on neighborhoods and infrastructure, and have a fuller conversation about what comes next.
This is a change in my position. When I was a Chamber of Commerce executive, I supported policies favorable to industry. I signed numerous Chamber letters supporting data centers and other businesses and industries.
My view changed as I learned more and heard concerns from residents. In September 2026, the Board of County Supervisors voted unanimously to end “by-right data-center development countywide.” I believe the Board could have gone further by pausing new applications while the county evaluates the proposals and their potential impacts.
Changing my mind is not easy, but it is sometimes necessary. People and communities need room to reconsider when they learn more. Too often, important issues get reduced to opposing sides, and the chance to listen or find common ground gets lost.
I am also asking for a second chance of my own. My 2018 DUI and a later text-message controversy are part of my record. I regret the choices I made, and I understand that accountability means taking responsibility and carrying the lessons forward, and I believe I have learned from those lessons.
A second chance is not a reset button. It is something you earn through your actions. I believe the same willingness to reconsider should apply to public decisions. A pause on new data-center applications would give residents and county leaders time to understand the choices before us before moving forward.
I do not expect everyone to agree with me. I hope we can have more conversations and show less contempt for one another. That hope comes from family challenges, time spent walking the trails close to home, and the belief that neighbors can disagree without turning every issue into another fight.
The quiet on those walks helped me ask better questions: Are people being heard? Are decisions moving too quickly? Can we make room for a more thoughtful discussion?
People, and the positions we hold, can evolve over time. When we are willing to look again, listen closely and see things more clearly, we can make better choices. That is true for each of us, and it should be true for our community, too. We can own past mistakes, reconsider old assumptions and keep working toward a better place for the community we call home.
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