Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

I was born and raised in Fayetteville and have watched my community grow from a small town into a thriving metropolitan city known for its proud tradition of diversity and rich military history. After graduating from UNC-CH, where I also did graduate work in Communications, I returned to my hometown and worked in a local family owned broadcasting business for over 25 years.

My husband, former prosecutor and Family Court Judge John Dickson and I are proud parents to four children, Bright, Seavy, Wyatt and his lovely wife Caroline. In 2002 I ran for public office for the first time and was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives. Thanks to the ongoing support and confidence of my community, I enjoyed the privilege of being re-elected three times to serve the people of House District 44.

In January of 2010, I was honored to have been appointed to serve in the North Carolina Senate representing the people of Bladen and Cumberland counties in District 19. Presently I am running to continue my service in the North Carolina Senate representing the people of Bladen and Cumberland counties.

Jobs are job number one for me in the North Carolina Senate. After working in a local family business for over 25 years, I know first-hand that small businesses and quality public education are the backbone of North Carolina's economy and are the key to putting our state and local communities back on the job.

We must continue tax relief for our small business owners who are working to grow and create new jobs. We must protect our public education system which is working hard to prepare a ready and competitive workforce that will attract and keep jobs in our community and our state.

I have been honored to serve my community in both prosperous and challenging times. I stand ready to continue facing our shared challenges and I pledge to continue working towards common sense solutions that reflect the values and priorities of our community.

I believe that government works best when it is a two way street and my door is always open to my community, the people of Bladen and Cumberland counties.