JT is a lifelong Oregonian born and bred in the heart of inner-NE Portland's historic Albina district. Raised by a single mother and grandmother, neither of whom graduated from college, he went on to earn his BA in Political Science with distinction from Yale University.

Prior to Article V, JT served as Senior Advisor and Director of Government Affairs at Albina Vision Trust, the largest community-led development in America, where he helped his community secure over $850 million in direct investment and notch landmark policy wins at every level of government. He joined AVT as the organization’s second full-time employee.

JT represents District 5 on TriMet's Board of Directors (which encompasses large portions of North and Northeast Portland), serves as Board Vice Chair of the Williams & Russell CDC, and is on the board of the Big Yard Foundation.

In 2018, he became the first Black and first Native Hawaiian Rhodes Scholar in Oregon's history. JT is also a Harry S. Truman Scholar and holds master's degrees in U.S. History and Music Performance from the University of Oxford.

He is the proud husband of Emily, his incredible wife, and proud father of Redemption, their incredible son.