Election statements: Bob Edwards, Democrat, Pitt County Board of Commissioners District B

Age: 66

Address: East Wright Road, Greenville

Occupation: Recently retired after a 29-year career teaching at ECU

Qualifications: Associate's degree in Liberal Arts, bachelor's in Bible and Theology, master's in communication, doctorate in sociology

Website/social media: BobforPittCounty.com; Instagram: BobforPittCounty; X: @Bob4PittCounty; facebook.com/bobforpittcounty

Statement

My name is Bob Edwards and I’m the Democratic candidate for Pitt County Commissioner, District B.

I have lived in Pitt County since 1995 when Terri and I moved our young family here for me to begin a second career teaching sociology at ECU. We’ve built our lives here, raised our two children here, put down broad and deep roots here and, despite opportunities to leave, have chosen to stay in Pitt County. Terri taught for Pitt County Schools and our two sons were educated in the North Carolina public schools from Elmhurst Elementary through NC State.

I am a just-retired public educator after a 29-year career teaching at ECU where I held a breadth of administrative and leadership roles including department chair. Along the way I got to listen to young adults from across our region talk about their aspirations, challenges, complaints and accomplishments. That gave me a unique appreciation of our region is changing. Currently, I serve on the board of the Community Crossroads Shelter, NC Civil and the city’s Multimodal Transportation Commission.

I’m running for office for several reasons. I was asked to run by people familiar with my professional and community involvement. This is a consequential election for our country and our county and I knew it was time for me to “get off the sidelines and into the game.” I believe my background, experience, values and leadership equip me to help our county meet the challenges ahead and make decisions that improve the quality of life for all people in Pitt County in all parts of Pitt County.

Pitt County is a vibrant and rapidly growing community! We’re going to keep growing, so we don’t need to put a lot of effort into just getting bigger. Rather, we must carefully weigh how to grow into the kind of place we want Pitt County to become. How can we improve the quality of life for everyone in all parts of our community? How can we make Pitt County a place where our children and newcomers want to stay and build their lives?

I believe accomplishing this rests on three foundations.

First, our county must be a place where strong, adequately resourced public schools educate a broadly skilled workforce of well-informed and engaged residents. About 90% of our children are educated by Pitt County Schools. It is imperative that the county commissioners do all they can to do right by all of our schools so our schools can do right by all of our kids.

Recently the commissioners made a good decision to increase salaries in the Sheriff’s Office to retain staff. Retaining staff is an issue with Pitt County Schools as well. I support finding ways to provide similar incentives to retain and recruit teachers, custodians, bus drivers and other school staff.

Second, we must manage and use our growth to rebuild the “Main Streets” of our communities that have been left behind in recent decades by promoting economic development that is sustainable and equitable:

Facilitate and support small business development prioritizing in areas like Grifton or Grimesland.Actively recruit and attract businesses from outside our county to locate here and invest in our community by bringing good-paying, middle-class jobs capable of supporting young families seeking to make Pitt County their home.Potential new businesses whose social and environmental costs outweigh their economic benefits should be required to do better.

Third, ensuring that voices from all communities are heard and that county services are accessible to everyone are effective ways to make sure that our county is a place where people come, stay and build their lives as Terri and I did.

Our community has made substantial progress towards achieving this goal, but I recognize much work remains to protect and further the progress we’ve already made.

At the end of my time at ECU I was described as “a pragmatic leader with extensive leadership experience and strong commitment to democratic process and governance who is always on the look-out for ways to improve programs by extending access and creating new opportunities, while making time to identify and mentor emerging leaders.”

I believe I am well-equipped to serve effectively on the Pitt County Board of Commissioners representing District B. Most of you don’t know me, yet I ask you to trust me with your vote in November and I’ll spend the next four years earning that trust.

Thank you for your consideration of my candidacy.