I am announcing my bid for re-election to the office of county commissioner for Halifax County.  My background is as follows:  

I grew up in a community few know of named White Rock, located just outside of Hollister.  

I am the son of Carlton and Mary Ann Qualls who are the bedrock of my existence.  

They taught me at a very young age the difference between right and wrong.  

I am very fortunate and lucky to still have them as role models and advisors.  

I grew up attending church at Harris Chapel Baptist Church in Hollister.  

My parents were always very active members of the church and still attend services there today.  The church has transitioned to Faith Tabernacle where they regularly attend and participate in multiple community outreach programs.  

My immediate family and I are members of Rosemary United Methodist Church in Roanoke Rapids.  

I was married there in the year 2000 and have had the distinct pleasure of seeing all of my children christened to Christ there.  

I am married to a wonderful wife and mother, Jen Qualls, and have three wonderful children — Kendall, Hunt, and Avery Qualls.  

My children are all enrolled in the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District.

My career began after graduating North Carolina State University in 1992.  

I took a job with a regional furniture company and traveled the East Coast and Mid-Western United States.  

The traveling was hard and began to wear me down so I looked for a job closer to home.  

My brother offered me a job at a company that he was instrumental in starting and I moved to Sanford to go to work for Americap Co. Inc.  

In 1997 Americap moved to Enfield where it still operates today.  

With good fortune and hard work I was able to become one-third owner of the company along with my brother and another longtime co-worker.  

In 1999 I was married to Jen Weathers and settled in Roanoke Rapids.  

After we began to have children I became interested in their education and decided to seek a position on the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District.  

I was appointed to a position left open when several resigned and served for three years.  Serving on the school board was great experience and it introduced me to life on a board.  

It is a position where you have to consider all of the diverse opinions and whittle them down to a good decision.  

This sounds very simple but can prove to be very difficult in practice.  

I had to learn that to be effective I had to listen to others and work with them to obtain a good outcome for all.  

Of all of the things that I have learned serving the public this has proved to be the most difficult.

After serving on the school board I sought a position as a Halifax County Commissioner where I have served for the past term.  

I have learned a lot, and am sure that I have a lot more to learn.  

I think I bring a sound financial background to the board with experience in both the private sector as a business owner and considerable knowledge from serving on an area school board.  I am not hesitant to make hard decisions that best represent those that I serve.  

I am very happy of the progress that we have made as a board and the manner in which we have done it. We have a very good board which works together under what can prove to be very difficult circumstances.  

We continue to work with the limited resources we have while looking to improve the opportunities of our citizens in all aspects of their life.

In closing I would very much appreciate your vote on May 8, 2018.  In addition to your support for me, I ask that you vote for my fellow commissioners Vernon Bryant and Judge Manning.  I can assure you that they are the best fit for Halifax County.