Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

Legislative

• Serves on eight House committees: Judiciary I (chair);
• Ethics (Chair);
• Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform (Vice Chair);
• Rules Calendar and Operations of the House (Vice Chair);
• Appropriations - Subcommittee on Capital;
• Education - Subcommittee on Universities;
• Finance;
• Pensions and Retirement

Professional

• Graduated from Brown University and UNC Law School
• Practiced law since 1990, specializing in constitutional law, civil rights, renewable energy, and municipal finance. Currently, of Counsel with Styers & Kemerait, PLLC.
• Teaches as a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke Law School
• Winner of the 2008 Ashanti Award from the RWCA
• Winner of the 2009 Legislator of the Year Award from the NC Housing Coalition
• Winner of the 2009 Isosceles Award from the Triangle AIA
• Winner of the 2009 WakeUP Wake County Award for Transit
• Ranked the 9th most effective member of the NC House of Representatives in 2010

I am proud and pleased to be the Representative for North Carolina House District 38. Thank you for your help and support. I want to keep making a difference for the residents of District 38.

As your representative, I pushed for laws to preserve and create jobs, enhance economic security, increase transportation options, create education opportunities, make health care more affordable, and protect our neighborhoods.

This session I worked on several new laws that help and protect our citizens. I sponsored a comprehensive statewide intermodal transportation law. I pushed through a new law to punish people who overcharge for state contracts. I promoted new laws to protect citizens from foreclosure and debt buying abuses. I sponsored new laws to protect victims of domestic violence and improve our justice system. And, I worked to continue our investments in the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund and the Green Square Project.

During these difficult economic times, I worked to balance our budget responsibly, while preserving essential services provided by our teachers and state employees. I also continue to advocate for improvements to our mental health system and ethics reforms.

I am working hard for you in the General Assembly and will continue putting my experience to work for you.