Cabarrus County Roots
My family moved to Harrisburg, NC, when I was in the first grade. I attended Harrisburg Elementary, Hartsell Middle School, and graduated from Central Cabarrus High School in 1991. I played saxophone and sousaphone in Central’s marching band. I lettered in wrestling. I was also voted most artistic by my graduating class. I met my wife when we were both students at Central. She’s a Concord, NC, native. We’ve been married 27 years and raised two daughters; both graduated from Mount Pleasant High School.
I’ve visited a lot of different places and there’s nowhere else I’d rather raise my family than Cabarrus County. I am committed to making sure our schools continue to graduate strong citizens that will contribute to our thriving community.
Hometown Values
Public schools are now the frontline in our nation’s culture war. I’ve spoken with parents and teachers all over this county and I’m happy to report that we are mostly unified. We want social and political activism out of our classrooms and we want our teachers to focus on the fundamentals. It’s pretty simple. In Cabarrus County, we trust parents to raise their children to reflect their values. We trust our teachers to educate our children in the subject area of their expertise. In our community, adults will try to persuade each other to various social and political points of view. Our classrooms should be focused on excellence in reading, writing, math, science, history, and the arts.
I am a Christian. I believe that my faith should inform every decision I make. I will always treat my neighbors with respect and love. I will work hard to understand every side of an issue. I want you to be confident in the leadership you’ve elected to oversee our schools. If I fall short on any of these goals, I promise to respond to your concerns with humility.
Unique Perspective
I was an art education major at the University of North Carolina Charlotte for two years. The invention of the World Wide Web took me down a different career path, but I’ve always had a heart for education. My commitment to bettering the lives of children is evidenced by years of service in youth ministry. I’ve served as a volunteer youth leader and part-time vocational youth pastor. I am currently leading teens as a part of my church’s creative ministries.
I am a father of two daughters who are recent graduates of Cabarrus County Schools. My youngest had her senior year interrupted by the global pandemic. I know the concerns of parents who want their kids to get a great education and for their school days to be filled with positive memories.
My wife is a teacher and a 20-year veteran of North Carolina public schools. She graduated from Pfieffer University with a degree in Special Education and received her Master’s in Reading from UNCC. The public school system’s strengths and weaknesses are dinner table conversation for us almost every night. This gives me insight into the current needs of Cabarrus County’s classroom teachers that other candidates simply do not have.
