After being admitted to the California Bar on May 22, 2012, I began practicing law at the Law Office of Scott Lyons, where I have remained practicing both consumer bankruptcy law and family law for the past fourteen years.  In addition, I am a member of the Board of Directors for the Central California Bankruptcy Association (CCBA), a non-profit organization established to foster education and cooperation among bankruptcy and insolvency professionals in Central California, acting as the Board’s secretary.   I am married  to my lovely wife Courtney  and we have two beautiful children, one  currently enrolled in the Visalia Unified School District.

The reason I want to serve on the College of Sequoias Board of Trustee is because I love Visalia and I want to give back to it in every way that I can.  Some of my fondest memories of my community regard College of Sequoias, and the College has been a part of my life since coming to Visalia.  When my family first moved to Visalia (I was two) our first home was right across from the COS campus.  My parents would take me to go walking and running the track on the Woodland side of the Campus.  Since last Summer, I have had the privilege of attending multiple COS board meetings, and I am able to see the positive impact that COS has on our community.  COS students actively engage with the community as they attain their education.  My family is directly impacted because my daughter’s daycare is serviced by COS child development students who work one-on-one with children. 

I currently work daily in a fiduciary capacity for hundreds of clients as their legal counsel and in that same capacity I am ready to keep the college’s budget balanced while ensuring the needs of the college’s diverse student body are met.  To that end, I am always ready to listen to the voices of those who have helped make COS the jewel that it is. 

In sum, COS is one of the crown jewels of Visalia, and I want to make sure that it remains a fantastic and economical place for students to attain an education and a great place for people to work, and that it remains an institution that continues to benefit our Central Valley community.