08/28/2026
I’ve been trying to figure out how to post these photos without making it feel like a retrospective on Tom McNamara when, for me, the story is so much bigger than that.
Because before Tom was the mayor I photographed seemingly everywhere, there was Sarah. Tom - you absolutely hit the wife jackpot with Sarah.
Sarah and I met through printmaking. We were artists and then moms alongside each other. We’ve spent years talking, venting, catching up, making things, raising kids, and she’s one tough cookie. She is one of my very best friends, and somewhere along the way, I got Tom too.
And then I got to watch—and photograph—a pretty remarkable chapter of their lives.
For over a decade, my camera has followed Tom through family photos, campaigns, chamber events, community gatherings, his mayoral induction, and approximately nine million other places because, truly, Tom is everywhere. I have watched him give an enormous amount of himself to Rockford, while also getting to know the person and family behind the public role.
Looking back through these photographs feels strangely emotional. Photography has always been how I make sense of time, and these images hold so much of it: a friendship, growing families, losing our fathers, a changing city. What a wild ride it’s been.
Tom, thank you for everything you’ve poured into this community. You are an amazing human being — always listening, always working hard and maintaining spirit, humor, and resolve through it all.
But Sarah—you’re the reason I got a front-row seat to any of it. And you’re still my favorite part of the story ❤️
