Races & Experience
2026 Town Council Race
Seeking a Second Term as White Bluff Councilman
On November 3, I am seeking a second term on the White Bluff Town Council. Three council seats are up for election this year, with four candidates seeking those seats.
When I first ran for office, I did so because I believed White Bluff was facing growth and development challenges that required more deliberate planning. I thought my background in business, management, real estate, and problem-solving could bring something useful to the table.
After serving my first term, my reason for running again is broader: once you see how local government actually works, you cannot unsee it.
Good government does not happen automatically. It requires people who are willing to read the material, ask difficult questions, challenge assumptions, understand the long-term consequences of a decision, and then make the best judgment they can for the community—not simply follow the loudest voice in the room.
I have also learned that there is far more happening behind the scenes than most residents ever have reason to see. During my first term, I worked with our planners, staff, department heads, fellow officials, and others to strengthen the rules governing development, improve financial stewardship, increase transparency, address long-neglected needs, and help put White Bluff in a stronger position for the future.
There is still more work to do.
One of my biggest priorities is helping White Bluff manage growth in a way that almost goes unnoticed. By that I mean growth that is intentional enough that we can gain better infrastructure, businesses, services, amenities, and opportunities without waking up one day wondering where the small town we loved went.
That does not happen by accident. It requires careful planning, strong standards, fiscal discipline, and leaders willing to think beyond the next meeting or election.
My Christian faith also shapes the way I approach public service. I do not believe morality and government can be completely separated; every law ultimately reflects judgments about what is right, just, responsible, or beneficial. My own moral foundation comes from Jesus Christ and Scripture, and I make no apology for that. At the same time, the responsibility of a councilman is to serve the entire community faithfully and make decisions with the good of White Bluff in mind.
I am proud of what we have accomplished during my first term, but I am not running simply on what has already been done.
I’m running because the work is not finished.
See The Work
Take a closer look at the votes, reforms, projects, and accomplishments from my first term on the White Bluff Town Council.
Experience That Shapes My Service
Leadership Beyond Elected Office
My experience did not begin in elected office.
I have spent more than two decades in leadership across ministry, business, nonprofit work, education, management, and community service. I received my first management title at sixteen, and since then I have led teams, managed organizations, built programs, worked through difficult personnel and financial decisions, and learned how to bring very different people together around a common goal.
A large part of that experience comes from ministry. Pastoral and nonprofit leadership taught me something that traditional management does not always teach: you cannot simply order people to care. Much of the work depends on earning trust, communicating vision, developing people, resolving conflict, and inspiring volunteers and leaders to move in the same direction because they believe in what they are building.
At the same time, my background extends well beyond ministry. I have held management and operational roles in several industries, helped run businesses, worked with budgets and financial systems, developed educational programs, participated in real-estate investment education, and helped build nonprofit organizations from the ground up.
Locally, that experience includes serving as pastor of The Abbey, helping lead Faith Christian Academy, co-founding the Kincaid Legacy Foundation for Girls, serving on the board of REIN, and participating in the Dickson County Republican Party.
Those different experiences have shaped the way I approach the Town Council. I tend to think several steps ahead, look for unintended consequences, challenge weak assumptions, and ask whether a proposal will still make sense years from now—not just whether it sounds good today.
I also believe one of my strongest abilities is bringing people together. Government accomplishes very little when everyone is working in separate corners. Whether I am working with town staff, department heads, planners, fellow officials, business owners, or residents, I try to find common ground, build relationships, and get the right people moving toward a shared objective.
I do not claim to be an expert in every field that comes before the Council. I do believe, however, that a broad range of leadership experience has taught me how to ask better questions, recognize problems early, seek out knowledgeable people, and make thoughtful decisions.
That is the experience I bring to public service.
Carl with a local Holocaust survivor who joyfully recognized and read Adonai YHWH off his arm.
What's Next
A Vision for White Bluff’s Next Chapter
If I am reelected to the Town Council in 2026, I intend to seek the office of Mayor of White Bluff in 2028.
I have never believed public service should be about possessing a title. The question is whether you are equipped and willing to do the work the position requires. After serving on the Council, I have become convinced that White Bluff needs a mayor who can provide clear direction, build relationships, bring people together, and cast a vision for where our town is going.
The mayor is more than a ceremonial figurehead. The office helps set the tone for town government, works closely with our department heads, represents White Bluff throughout the county and surrounding communities, helps establish priorities, and provides leadership as the Council and Planning Commission consider decisions that may shape the town for decades.
That requires leadership, management experience, people skills, networking, foresight, and the ability to build consensus around a common vision.
Those are responsibilities I want to take on.
My vision is for White Bluff to grow in a way that preserves what makes it worth living here in the first place. I want us to experience the benefits of thoughtful growth—stronger businesses, better services, increased sales-tax revenue, improved infrastructure, and more opportunities—without losing our identity as a small town.
I want our departments to have the tools and resources they need to serve residents well. I want systematic plans for roads and infrastructure rather than waiting for problems to become emergencies. I want excellent police, fire, parks, and public services. I want us to capitalize on the assets we already have through parks, festivals, events, recreation, and other opportunities that can strengthen both community life and our local economy.
I also want White Bluff to become more deliberate about the way we govern. Our ordinances should not simply sit untouched for decades because “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” We should continually review outdated laws, correct what no longer works, and anticipate future challenges before they reach our doorstep.
Most of all, I want a town government that has a clear vision and works together toward it.
White Bluff has tremendous potential. My goal is not simply to manage what we have today, but to help position our town for what it can become tomorrow—while protecting the character and community that make White Bluff home.
That is why, if the people of White Bluff return me to the Council in 2026, I plan to ask them again in 2028 for the opportunity to serve as their mayor.
Why I Serve
Service Before Status
I believe public office is a stewardship, not a possession. The title matters far less than the responsibility that comes with it.
Early in my time on the Council, during a disagreement over an issue, I was told, “If you vote that way, you’ll never get reelected.” That statement stuck with me—not because I was worried about it, but because I realized I never wanted to approach public service that way.
I do not want to cast a vote based on whether it will help me win the next election. If keeping an office ever requires me to vote against my conscience or what I genuinely believe is right for White Bluff, then I would rather lose the office.
That does not mean I expect everyone to agree with every decision I make. It means residents should be able to trust that my vote is actually my vote—reached after studying the issue, asking questions, considering the consequences, listening to others, and ultimately doing what I believe is right rather than what is politically convenient.
My Christian faith is foundational to that responsibility. It shapes my understanding of truth, integrity, courage, stewardship, and accountability. I know that ultimately I am accountable for how I use whatever authority has been entrusted to me.
I will listen. I will explain my reasoning. I will remain accessible. I may even change my mind when better facts or arguments warrant it.
But I will not cast a vote simply because I think it will get me reelected.
I would rather serve one term with integrity than spend a lifetime in office by compromising what I believe is right.
