Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

A native of Claremont, NC, I attended Oxford Elementary School, Catawba Middle School, and am a 1996 graduate of Bunker Hill High School.  I am the son of Michael and Rita Brittain of Claremont, NC. 

In 2000, I graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne College, now Lenoir-Rhyne University, with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a concentration in accounting.  Upon graduation, I accepted an accounting position with Mountain Air Cargo, Inc. in Denver, NC.  I relocated to Charlotte in 2001 to accept an accounting position with a CPA firm there.  In 2005, I received my master's degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from the University of Phoenix.

In 2003, I married my wife, Lisa Batdorf Brittain.  We resided in Charlotte until 2006.  At that point, Lisa graduated from UNC Charlotte, got a teaching position in Catawba County, I accepted a position with a CPA firm, and we returned home.  Catawba County was where both Lisa and I wanted to continue our lives.       

From January 2007 to present, I have been employed as a staff accountant for Breazeale, Kiser, Hoyle & Lawing, PA in Hickory, NC.  In addition, I am co-owner of B2 Productions, Inc., a mobile DJ business that was started in 2008 and continues to be successful today.  Being a business owner and an accountant has given me the skills needed to be a good board member.   

I also serve as a board member for the Lenoir-Rhyne University Alumni Association.  This is very important to me since I really enjoyed my time at Lenoir-Rhyne, and there are so many alumni that you represent. 

In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, gardening, playing with our dogs, and playing sports.

My knowledge and experience working as a staff accountant for Breazeale, Kiser, Hoyle & Lawing, PA and as a business owner of B2 Productions, Inc., a mobile DJ business, have given me the opportunity to provide leadership as well as to properly plan for current and future budgets.  This knowledge will help me to provide responsive leadership on the School Board.

Being 32 years old and the youngest candidate, I would be able to supply a different perspective.  Many parents who are just starting families and are looking for someone on the School Board they can connect with will have that relationship.

I believe in making decisions based on what is going to be best for the children, and not necessarily doing what is the most politically correct at that point in time.  I will encourage each and every one of the parents to get involved.  If you are able to, then go to your child's classroom for one day and just see what all the teachers are doing to assist with your child's educational growth.  Then, let your School Board members know what you think of the happenings in your Child's/Children's school(s).  For children to obtain a great education, the system needs passionate teachers who are given the supplies they require and parents who assist their child's teacher by working with their child/children at home to reinforce what has been taught in the classroom.    

As YOUR School Board member, I am going to work to make sure that your child receives the best skills and training necessary to prepare them for the rest of their lives.  To do this, I will make sure Catawba County Schools are fiscally responsible and get input from the community, parents, and teachers on major decisions that we face.