Member

Biography

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I have been married to my loving wife, Cheryl, since 1991. We are blessed to have two incredible children, Brayden and Breeley, who are unique in their own ways. We love animals and have a couple of rescue dogs in our family. My family and I live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee where I work as an anesthesiologist and my wife has practiced as a pharmacist.  I am a Fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists; hence, I list FASA after my name. I’m a partner in a small medical practice and the state representative for the 48th House District, which covers the eastern half of Rutherford County. As a state representative, I serve as Chairman of the House Health Committee. I also serve on a variety of other committees including Insurance, State, and Calendar and Rules. During my time in office, I have been named Legislator of the Year, Family Champion, Taxpayer Hero and Champion of Prosperity. I have also been a recipient of the Latinos for Tennessee Faith, Family, Freedom, and Fiscal Responsibility Award. As a doctor and elected official, I have been exposed to a wide variety of situations that have helped mold me into the person that I am. However, the foundation of who I am lies within my upbringing. As a child with severe asthma and allergies, I spent a lot of time in doctors’ offices and emergency rooms. Knowing the financial and emotional struggles my parents experienced while dealing with my medical problems, I took personal responsibility to heart and earned my way through medical school to not only help myself but also others. I grew up working in a third-generation auto salvage family, which helped me to develop my deep blue-collar roots. When I was 13, I began pulling parts off of cars, and at 16 I began driving our delivery truck. I later worked as a property manager when my family transitioned from an auto salvage to an insurance pool. These experiences provided me with a small business background and the work ethic for medical school. I attended the University of Oklahoma where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Physiological Psychology. Though I decided to go the route of anesthesia instead of becoming a pulmonologist or psychiatrist, I find the field of psychology fascinating and consider myself somewhat of an amateur psychologist. I graduated medical school from the Oklahoma College of Medicine and performed my anesthesiology residency at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. I served as the president of the Tennessee Society of Anesthesiologists Resident Component and as a student member of the Oklahoma College of Medicine Admissions Board. I am also an affiliated associate professor with the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. As a medical intern, I was on my surgical rotation when the Oklahoma City bombing occurred, and I helped take care of some of the victims. Our insurance pool also received several of the vehicles damaged by the explosion. It’s a day that I will never forget and I still get choked up when I speak about it. In addition to an auto salvage, my family owned and operated a farm. At one point, we had around 100 horses. Though I was allergic to hay and animal dander, our family raced horses throughout my youth. On May 20, 2013, our family’s farm was destroyed by an EF-5 tornado that resulted in the deaths of 37 horses and a pot-bellied pig. My mom and our farm were featured in an L.A. Times article about the destruction. When not hampered by asthma in my youth, I was a gym rat who spent hours playing basketball and tennis or working out. As I have gotten older, I’ve biked all over Rutherford County and run several half-marathons in my spare time. I have also spent a significant amount of time coaching youth sports including little league baseball. I enjoy skiing, attending sporting events, and partaking in various concerts. My story would also not be complete without discussing my heritage. I am a tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and my mom’s side of the family, including my children, are all members. As such, I often say that I am a caucus of one at the Tennessee State Capitol.