The son of military parents, I was born in Philadelphia and raised in Millington, Tenn. I moved to North Carolina in 2001. As a very young father of two boys, I struggled through overcoming many of the challenges that come with supporting a family on very limited means. This experience shaped much of my political philosophy and led me to embrace personal freedom and liberty.

I eventually worked my way through college, earned a bachelor of science degree from North Carolina Wesleyan College in 2009, and am now a director in charge of a $70 million business.

My experience in this role has led me to believe you must build consensus to effectively lead teams, and that you must listen to the input of the team and remove barriers to be successful. I would apply these same principles in my representation of state Senate 14.