Dan's Biography
Dad worked in textiles; Mom was a school teacher. They gave me, my brother and sister a lot of love. They worked hard to give their children good values and an opportunity to succeed in life.
I went to work on the farms of Scotland County at the age of twelve. Over the next ten years, my summers included detasseling corn, hoeing peppers, cropping tobacco, and scouting cotton.
I was blessed with good teachers in the public schools of Scotland County. With scholarships and the support of my parents, I was able to attend and graduate from Wake Forest University.
With the encouragement of James Mason (a prominent local attorney), I attended and graduated from Wake Forest University School of Law. I paid for law school through a scholarship, loans, and work at a Winston-Salem restaurant.
For the past 22 years, I have worked as an attorney, with a focus on employment law. My experience has included work in a large firm (Womble Carlyle), a mid-sized firm, and now as a solo practitioner. My practice has given me the opportunity to represent individuals, businesses and local governments.
I have tried cases all across North Carolina, and have achieved recognition as one of the state’s leading employment lawyers.
I have also been active in my community, as a County Commissioner, Chairman of the Davie Hospital Board of Trustees, and on various charitable and civic boards.
In 2004, I ran for governor. As part of that campaign, I walked 582 miles across North Carolina. I met many wonderful people and experienced the beauty of our state.
My home is in Davie County. My wife, Kathleen, and I have been blessed with two children, a son (15), and a daughter (10).