Many years ago I worked my way through graduate school as a part-time newspaper reporter, covering two small towns near Raleigh.  Sitting through many long City Council meetings, I saw firsthand how critical decisions made in such meetings impact the quality of our life now and into the future.  Very often, these important governmental meetings are held with few or no citizens present.  That is not ideal, but it is understandable; our lives are full and busy.  So it is important to have people on the City Council whose loyalty is to all citizens and whose priority is an even-handed, thoughtful approach to issues that affect us and our city.

I was born and raised in eastern North Carolina.  I grew up on a farm in Duplin County, just about an hour south of here, near the little town of Beulaville.  In addition to Chapel Hill and Tallahassee, I have also lived in Smithfield and Ayden; I know and appreciate the value and benefits of living in both small towns and dynamic cities.  I have also traveled abroad extensively.  Wherever I go—in North Carolina, other states, or around the world—I find that it is always the vital neighborhoods that make the communities livable. 

I attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I double majored in journalism and psychology.  In graduate school at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Florida State University, I majored in Christian Studies and the history of religions.  I also received a degree in clinical psychology from ECU and worked as a therapist here in Greenville part-time for 10 years.

I have taught at ECU since 1985, and my wife Susan and I have lived in my Greenville district since 1999.  Many people in eastern North Carolina may know me through the annual “Jarvis Lecture on Christianity and Culture” that I have helped produce for 15 years.  At ECU I have worked to provide events and opportunities for the broader community.  The “Jarvis Lecture” is the most visible of those efforts.  For seven years I led summer study abroad programs to Egypt, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, Italy, and Greece.  While most of the travelers were students, I have had teachers and others from the community who have also participated.  On the City Council and at ECU I will continue to work to help ECU be a good citizen of the community so that all of our lives can be enriched.
 
Community participation has been a priority for me over the years.  I have served on the Ayden-Grifton-Winterville Mental Health Satellite Advisory Board, co-founded a rape and spouse abuse program, and served as president of a telephone crisis line volunteer organization.  My civic involvement also includes frequent speaking at area churches and other organizations.

For Calvin's public service resume, go to
http://www.greenvillenc.gov/departments/mayor_city_council/information/default.aspx?id=66