Adam was raised in Walcott, Iowa and is a proud graduate of the Davenport Community School District (Go Panthers & Falcons!), where dedicated public school teachers fostered his love of music and history. His first job was at 16, working the drive-thru and making custard at Culver’s. After attending Luther College, he spent nearly a decade at Micky’s Irish Pub in Iowa City, serving, bartending, and managing. He knows what it’s like to live off tips, balance rent with student loans, and work double shifts because you have no other choice.
Adam is constantly in motion, whether organizing, volunteering, or simply showing up where he’s needed. He listens, seeks to understand, and finds common ground, even when conversations are tough. Adam began his political journey in college as a precinct captain for then-Senator Barack Obama, an experience that sparked his commitment to civic engagement. After attending Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential events for multiple cycles, he decided it was time to get off the sidelines.
That commitment carried him into political work across the country: one of the first organizers hired for Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign in Iowa, a member of the Biden/Harris 2020 Digital Team in Pennsylvania, Digital Director to Admiral Mike Franken’s 2022 U.S. Senate campaign, and an adviser to Rep. Ken Croken’s State House and mayoral races. A proud Scott County Democrat, he’s an active member of their Central Committee, working to strengthen the party and build grassroots power in his community. Adam was also elected as Chair of the Iowa Stonewall Democrats and served as a National Delegate for Iowa to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Beyond politics, Adam has spent 15 years working with high school students in the performing arts as a show choir director, clinician, show designer, and consultant. Partnering with educators across the country, he has helped students discover confidence, community, and joy onstage; reinforcing his belief in the power of public education and the importance of protecting access to the arts in our schools. In recognition of this work, Adam was honored with the 2014 “Spirit of Service” Aspire Award at the FAME Show Choir Championships, a testament to the impact he has made on students and the arts community nationwide.
Adam spent the last four years as the Director of Operations at Clock, Inc., an LGBT+ community center in the Quad Cities. In this role, he has expanded programming, strengthened partnerships, and created affirming spaces, support systems, and mental health resources for people too often left out of political conversations. His leadership has been recognized with a 2024 Forty under 40 honor from the Quad Cities Business Journal and the 2025 Community Service Award from the Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities.
Adam volunteers with some of his favorite Quad Cities nonprofits, including NEST Café and The Project of the QC, continuing his commitment to building community beyond his professional work. He recently bought his first home in Davenport, where he lives with his one-eyed cat, Herbert Hoover. In his free time, he runs along the river, practices yoga, takes in live music, and can often be found at the Raccoon Motel as a patron and a fill-in bingo caller.