About

Born here locally in Whiteville, Philip knows the value of hard work. His first job was at 14, in a field, cropping tobacco. Growing up, he dreamed of one day living in beautiful Wilmington, North Carolina.

Wilmington seemed like such an amazing and magical place to Philip as a child, and now, almost 25 years later, Philip still holds that same sense of love, wonderment, and belonging here in Wilmington. After living and working all over Eastern North Carolina, when it came time to settle down and put down roots more than 12 years ago, Wilmington was the only choice.

Like many of us, Philip's experiences have shaped his views, and he is very passionate about using his past experiences, good and bad, to help better himself and others. A long-term recovering alcoholic, Philip is a certified SMART Recovery Facilitator who works with addicts and their families to help them find peace and freedom from addiction and bring the shame of addiction to an end. As a survivor of childhood trauma, Philip works with victims and their families to help them re-frame their lives and succeed on the difficult road to recovery. He also works tirelessly on behalf of the community in numerous causes, and he has dedicated himself to sharing his positive, caring outlook with others.

Philip currently sits on the New Hanover County Parks Conservancy Board of Directors, and in the past has held positions on the NHC Long-Term Healthcare CAC, the A Safe Place Young Professionals Board, as well as he has worked in a fundraising capacity for the Oxford Masonic Children's Home and the retirement home WhiteStone in Greensboro, NC.

One thing that separates Philip from many around him, is his ability to understand that his experiences are not the same as others around him. He is fond of saying, "I am a Straight, White Man, I can only know those experiences. But what I can do, is to sit, and to listen. Not listen until it is my time to talk, but to genuinely listen, to hear people, and to try to understand people's experiences."

He has spent the past several years, sitting in the back of the room at Wilmington City Council meetings and listening to the stories and struggles of many different groups of people, people with a wide variety of important goals, struggles, and needs. The goal of this campaign is to ensure that those people are heard, and that their concerns are taken seriously, person by person and issue by issue. Philip Works for Wilmington, and Philip Works for You.

Philip and his partner, Cramer, are the proud parents of 3 wonderful puppies, Hendrix, Freya, and their two legged puppy Tabitha.

We hope that you will join us on this journey.