Ten years ago, Nonahood News was born out of a simple idea: that neighborhoods matter, and that the stories unfolding on your own streets are worth telling. When we started the paper in Lake Nona, we weren’t trying to build a media empire, we simply wanted to help people feel more connected to where they lived.

Lake Nona, and particularly Laureate Park, gave us that opportunity. It was a special place at a special moment in time, growing, optimistic, and filled with people who genuinely cared about their community. Launching Nonahood News there was both a privilege and a joy, and it will always remain a meaningful chapter of my life.

In 2017, my family and I made the difficult decision to sell the newspaper. We loved Lake Nona and the neighborhood we called home, but life has a way of pulling you toward what matters most. For us, that meant moving to Gainesville to be closer to family.

That decision proved to be one of the most important of our lives.

Shortly after moving, I was grateful to be in Gainesville when my grandmother passed away. Being close during that time reinforced exactly why we had made the move. Since then, my mother relocated here from Seattle, and my father and stepmother followed from Spring Hill. What began as a leap of faith became a full family reunion.

The past ten years have also brought challenges I never anticipated. I was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a life-altering moment that forced me to slow down, reevaluate priorities, and lean heavily on the people around me. I’m proud to say that I have been in remission for four years as of February 2, 2022, a milestone I don’t take lightly.

Professionally, Gainesville opened doors I could never have imagined. I had the honor of serving as project manager for the historic renovation of Norman Hall on the University of Florida campus, a 120,000-square-foot project that blended preservation, history, and progress. It remains one of the most meaningful projects of my career.

Along the way, my wife Lindsay and I opened a D1 Training athletic facility, deepening our connection to youth sports and performance training. I also ran my third marathon, proof that goals don’t stop just because life gets complicated.

Most recently, at the beginning of this year, we took another entrepreneurial leap and purchased BBI Construction Management with three partners, including Lindsay. Today, I have the privilege of helping build upon an already strong and successful company, one that has served its clients for 47 years, into an even stronger organization that positively impacts both its team members and the many people who depend on the projects we help bring to life.

And then there are the moments that matter most.

Watching my son graduate high school and go on to play Division I football at Murray State University. Teaching my daughter how to drive, watching her run track, play volleyball, and cheer on the sidelines of a state championship high school football team at Oak Hall. Sitting in the stands at University of Florida games, football, gymnastics, baseball, and basketball, cheering on the Gators as season ticket holders and soaking in the energy of this incredible community. Those are the moments that stay with you.

While we miss our old neighborhood in Lake Nona, we are deeply grateful for where life has taken us. Looking back over the past decade, I see a common thread running through it all: community, resilience, and the courage to take the next step, even when the path forward is uncertain.

Nonahood News was never just a newspaper. It was a reflection of the people it served. Seeing it reach its 10-year anniversary is incredibly meaningful, and I’m honored to have been a small part of that story.

Here’s to the past decade, and to the communities, old and new, that continue to shape who we are.