Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

Senator Richard Stevens was first elected to the North Carolina General Assembly in 2002 and re-elected in 2004, 2006 and 2008. He represents Wake County in the North Carolina Senate and serves as Co-Chairman of both the Education/Higher Education Committee and the Appropriations Committee for Education/Higher Education. He is also a member of the Appropriations on Base Budget, Commerce, Finance, Judiciary I, Rules, State and Local Government, and Transportation Committees. He works as a management consultant providing assistance with strategic planning, business objectives, marketing, and organizational development for private sector clients.

From 1984 to 2000, Mr. Stevens served as the Wake County Manager. Previously he was the Assistant County Manager in Wake County and held numerous positions with the City of Durham, including Director of Finance and Assistant City Manager.

Mr. Stevens has chaired a variety of organizations at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, including the Board of Trustees, the General Alumni Association and the University Endowment Fund. He served as President of the North Carolina City and County Management Association and as a Board Member for the Centennial Authority (which operates the RBC Center in Raleigh), Yates Mill Associates, Cary Academy, and the National Association of County Administrators.

He has served as an adjunct instructor at the UNC School of Government teaching a graduate seminar in State Government.

Mr. Stevens has lectured on intergovernmental relations at North Carolina State University, and held a variety of positions including Assistant Dean of Men, Assistant Residence Director, and Assistant in the Office of Student Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he began his career and received his bachelor, master of public administration and law degrees.

Richard and his wife Jere live in Cary and have two grown children.

The most significant issues facing North Carolina are the economy and the deficit in the State Budget. With unemployment over 10%, our citizens need good quality jobs and a state government dedicated to providing quality schools, community colleges and universities; a well planned and maintained transportation system; and a good government which is free from all of the recent corruption.

The State Government can best assist in the development of jobs by making sure there is a good environment for businesses to be able to create jobs. This means a reasonable regulatory system, taxes and fees as low as possible and the realization that small businesses create most new jobs. It also means that the State must provide quality and efficient services in the most cost effective ways possible.

The next two years will be critical for North Carolina. Tough decisions will have to be made. Experience and the knowledge of how to get this task done are both important. I pledge to work everyday to improve the lives of all North Carolinians.