Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

QUALIFIED BY EXPERIENCE

• Elected and re-elected to three terms on the school board for 14 years
• Selected  'Chairman' by fellow board members four  (4) times.
• Member of the Board that acquired funds to build: Jack Britt High School, Gray's Creek High School, Alderman Road Elementary,  Gallberry Farm Elementary, Lake Rim Elementary, and John Griffin Middle School. These construction projects came in under budget and we built another school, (Stoney Point Elementary), with the money we saved.
• I was part of the negotiating team that resulted in the Federal Government donating the land for 2 schools for CCS due to the increase of military dependent students moving to Cumberland County. (Hefner Elementary and W.T. Brown Elementary)
• Although, I have been off the board for 6 years, I still have more experience than any other candidate.

QUALIFIED BY COMMITMENT

I graduated from Cumberland County Schools, my wife, Donna, graduated from Cumberland County Schools ; our 4 oldest children graduated from Cumberland County Schools ; and our youngest daughter is a freshman in high school in CCS.

Boys and Girls Club of Cumberland County Board of Directors- (presently Vice Chairman) member of the Board during expansion from one center at Cumberland Road to 4 Centers throughout Cumberland County.  Enrollment has increased from approximately 50 children to over 1,000 children. Provide resources for children to succeed through tutoring, mentoring, and character development.

FTCC Board of Trustees for 12 years. Member of the Board when we re-aligned our curriculum to match the UNC system thereby assuring that our graduates received full credit for their FTCC degrees.

Teen Court and Cumberland County Dispute Resolution Center Board of Directors  (1996-present) sets the policies and advocates for funding for the programs for youthful offenders and seeks binding 'out of court' resolutions.

Candidate Statement:

Please review the qualifications of all the candidates. Choose the one that you trust  to make decisions affecting the future of 52,000 children, and  an annual budget exceeding 400 million dollars. The person you elect will decide how to spend approximately - 1.6 billion dollars of your tax dollars in the next 4 years.

When I did not seek re-election 6 years ago, I thought that it was time for new ideas, new leadership, new representation for the school system. However, I believe we are now at a pivotal time in our community that requires experienced leadership, concensus building, budget experience and a proven commitment to the success of Cumberland County Schools.  Providing safe schools, supporting our teachers, BRAC, improving student performance and the budget requests to our county commissioners are daily issues that will require proven leadership and success.

"A child doesn't care how much you know, until he knows how much you care"

We will be judged by how we care for and train our children to succeed in the future.

Together, we must guarantee that every child receives a quality education from a competent, caring teacher in a safe environment. Not all children learn the same information at the same pace, but ALL children can learn. It is our duty to assure that the teachers have the resources and facilities to educate all children. We must provide our principals with a competent, caring staff. Our educational administration must be provided with a clear direction and mission. It is our responsibility to assure that adequate finding is available for all students and employees to succeed. We must not settle for anything less. 

Thank you for your consideration. I respectfully ask for your vote and support.