Candidate Biography (submitted by campaign):

My father was a Methodist Minister who started new churches throughout the Southeast and my mother was a public school teacher. I attended the University of Pennsylvania and also earned a MBA from the Wharton School of Business. While in college I studied abroad in China and was there for the beginning of the Democracy movement which ended in the slaughter of pro-Democracy protestors in Tiananmen Square. 

After graduating from college I worked as a stock analyst in both Hong Kong and Jakarta, Indonesia. Hong Kong was ruled by the Communists and Jakarta was ruled by a dictator. Living in these very repressive countries gave me an intense appreciation for the type of society which we have in America and it inspired me to participate in public life as both a City Councilor and State Senator.

After returning to America I worked for a number of Fortune 500 companies and a Venture Capital Firm in Durham investing in businesses.  As a business investment expert I have helped create thousands of North Carolina jobs.  As a state Senator I have protected NC pensions and invested in our future by raising teacher pay, improving schools, and making college more affordable for NC families.

I am running for State Treasurer as the only candidate who has created jobs and invested in NC's future.  That's what this job is all about.  It’s about protecting pensions and investing in education and jobs for the people of North Carolina.

The most important issues facing the Treasurer’s office are:  1) protecting and growing the State’s $78 billion pension fund. The pension fund provides the retirement for over 820,000 retired State employees, including teachers, firefighters and police officers;  2) facilitating prudent and affordable financing for state infrastructure, including schools, transportation, water and sewer, and hospitals; 3) investing in jobs and education in North Carolina.

If elected, my top three priorities in addressing these issues are establishing an enhanced investment advisory board made up of financial professionals to share best practices and help oversee investment decisions. Nationwide there is three trillion dollars in public pension funds and very little regulation on the oversight of these funds. While NC is in good shape in terms of our pension fund, we need to continue to professionalize the treasurer’s office by demanding greater financial qualifications and ongoing training requirements for fund managers and advisors.  This effort would also include openness and transparency for the office.

Second, I would proactively reach out to minorities and historically underutilized businesses to grow jobs in the financial services industry and insure good returns on our investments. I would strengthen ties with the university system to ensure that our best and brightest have the opportunity to gain financial skills and compete for business with the treasurer’s office.
Third, I would work with local government, bond attorneys and public finance professionals to help ensure we have adequate infrastructure and maintain the state’s AAA bond rating.