After graduating from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1996, I returned to Wake Forest to practice law because it had been my home in every way but a permanent address. My family has called Wake Forest home for over a century. Although I attended primary and secondary school in Virginia, my real home was on N. Allen with my grandmother, Esther Shackleford. My grandmother was a small business owner in the seventies and eighties, operating what was fondly known as “Massenburg Sweet Shop.” I am happy and proud to still be here with my wife and our two children. 

I served as a commissioner on the Housing Authority of Wake County Board from 2000 until 2016 (Housing) and the Board of Trustees for Wake Technical Community College for eight years (workforce development). I am currently on the Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (small business). He is a trustee of the Fishburne-Hudgins Education Foundation, Inc. that owns and operates Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia (Education). Represented clients before the Wake Forest and Rolesville town boards. I served on the Steering Committee for the Wake Forest Community Plan in 2009. East End Community Association was formed by the residents of the northeast section of Wake Forest to address concerns and issues. 

Over the last twenty-five years, our town has grown and evolved, just like the rest of our region. Our town board has done a great job of developing plans. Our town leadership has continuously looked forward and developed a vision for our town. We have hired consultants and developed community and transportation plans to discuss controlling growth, responsible growth, and transportation. 

Every election cycle, we focus on these issues and pretend like it is a new issue and the town leadership is oblivious. I am dedicated to continuing to build on our successes as a town. We have an excellent town staff full of experience. We are fortunate to have a police department led by an experienced and local chief. We have officers who have spent most of their law enforcement careers with our departments. They have been able to leverage the small-town atmosphere and maintain community relations. That does not mean our town is perfect. People and businesses choose to make Wake Forest home for a reason, many good reasons. At an early age, I learned, “good, better best, never let it rest until your good is better your better is best.” This is my approach or mantra for our town. We must continue to strive to be better until we can make our better best.