Jay Adams for NC House

Jay Stands For Jobs

Re-Elect Jay Adams for 96th District House Representative

A Short Message From Jay

"I am a life long Republican and I want to continue to represent you in Raleigh. The job of a Legislator is a challenging one, especially during a pandemic. It requires a commitment to diligently study an extensive variety of issues our states faces. I am committed to work long hours and learn about issues that my fellow Legislators present. My job extends to building relationships with many people and having to make difficult decisions. Sometimes I find myself having to tell people things they don't want to hear. I will continue to use my business experiences and conservative economic principles. Becuse of this, I have been honored with a high ranking by the North Carolina Chamber, Civitas and other conservative organizations. I feel I have been very successful during my first 3 terms in representing Catwaba County citizens. I have more work I want to do for our district, our county, and our state."

As a small business owner, Jay understands the importance of cutting red tape and unnecessary regulations so businesses can flourish and create new jobs. The pandemic of 2020 has illuminated the impact of excessive regulations and governmental oversight on the ability of business and government to respond and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. Experience will be an incredibly important asset in evaluating reforms that will facilitate innovation and adaptive measure as we adjust to our "new normal".
As a commercial real estate broker, he understands what it will take for retail and service providers to accommodate the public's requirements with regard to social distancing and practices that will assure safety.

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For more than 25 years, Jay has served on numerous boards and committees in the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, the Western Piedmont Council of Governments, and the City of Hickory. These committees have provided Jay with hands-on experience dealing with the issues that directly lead to economic development: transportation, land use, air quality, water quality, and government affairs. Jay has held chairmanships on several Chamber Committees, served on the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and on the original Hickory by Choice Committee. Also, he participated in the Unifour Air Quality project and the 14 county 1998 Environmental Summit sponsored by the Mecklenburg County Commission.

The person that holds the 96th District seat should be familiar with the local municipal governments, the county government, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation. It is an advantage if the person holding the seat has engaged in community service activities with other business people from the area and the region to work to address emerging issues. The network that these activities create will be invaluable when dealing with issues and opportunities that emerge. Jay is a native of North Carolina and has resided in Hickory since 1975.

This is one battle we won... HB 152, New Historic Preservation Tax Credits

Jay graduated from The Citadel with a Bachelor of Science in Education. With his extensive business experience, he has a unique grasp of the critical role our schools will play in the future of the 96th District. Education will be an extremely important component of Catawba County's future as well as that of North Carolina. "Excellence in Education" and the K-64 program is absolutely essential.

The 2020 pandemic will likely change many aspects of the education model we have come to know including school choice. Education must adapt to the possibility of extended periods of remote teaching. There is much to be gained by facilitating this capability. This will place considerable pressure on the extension of broadband and fiber into rural areas. Jay is quite certain that the pandemic will cause a critical review of how systems have coped with the circumstances. Systems and practices will need modification to function more effectively in any such future event. His experience will allow him to make sensible, practical decisions as a member of the Appropriations committee.

Jay and Donna are active members with their church. Jay served on the Board of the Peaks to Piedmont Girl Scout Council for several years. He is a member of the Elks Club and a former member of Rotary and was a Paul Harris Fellow. He has been an active member of the Catawba Valley Wildlife Club for over 30 years and served on the Board of Directors, and as President 1999-2000. Jay is Chairman of the House Committee on Wildlife Resources and received the Governor's Legislator of the Year Award his freshman year.

Background

When Jay ran for office the issue we faced in the 96th District was all about economics. Jay has supported the policies of the Republican Party that dramatically improved North Carolina's economic condition over the past 9 years. The 2020 pandemic, and the policies in response, have done great damage to the state's economy. Now we must develop a strategy to restore the jobs that have been lost, the business that have been damaged, and the confidence that has been diminished. When Republicans took the North Carolina Legislature and the Governor's office, we were facing a similar landscape. High unemployment, debt, and suppressed business activity characterized our state's economy. Republicans proceeded to build an economy and produced economic activity at a rate that was the envy of most of the states in the country. With your support, we can do it again.

Community & Experience

One of Jay's greatest assets has been the long-term relationships he has developed in business and by participating in local government activities and community projects. It is though those relationships developed while living in Catawba County for more than 45 years he was able to fill a seat on the State Community College Board and two seats on the North Carolina Wildlife Commission. Jay has been honored to recommend Bill McBrayer, Mike Johnson, and Dean Proctor to serving on these boards.

Education

Jay graduated from The Citadel with a Bachelor of Science in Education. Jay taught school in South Carolina to complete that curriculum. He has a unique grasp of the critical role our schools will play in the future of the 96th District. Education will be an extremely important component of Catawba County's future as well as North Carolina. "Excellence in Education" is absolutely essential. In 2014 when Jay ran for office, the challenge was creating jobs. Now that jobs have been created, we must have an educational apparatus that will provide a well-trained workforce to fill the jobs.

Catawba County has one of the most innovative community colleges in North Carolina. CVCC's simulated hospital, furniture academy, manufacturing academy, and construction academy are benchmarks for community colleges all over North Carolina. One of the most recent programs that CVCC has developed is K-64. This innovative program is based on the reality that our education will never end. We will be trained and educated throughout our careers. This program created the much needed linkage between the interest of business and education.

Innovation is not without risk. If a school is to innovate, it must be free to take chances, to try new methods, to move freely in the environment where it operates. We must extend this environment to the K-12 classrooms. This can be best achieved if a choice of educational options is available to families, students, as well as teachers. A marketplace of ideas for all stakeholders will provide the best outcomes.

It should be noted that during the difficult years in the late 70's and early 80's Jay attended CVCC to study mechanical drawing, computer science and real estate. His study of real estate at CVCC earned him his license in 1983 and lead to a successful career in commercial real estate.

Jay is a product of public education. Both of his children started at Oakwood Elementary School. Jay and Donna served as President of the PTA. As their children progressed in school, they determined the better option would be a private education. Whether it's a private school, charter school, magnet school, or home schooling, Jay wants to see that families have options for their children to have the best education for their capabilities.

Jay still enjoys an occasional stent in the classroom as a substitute teacher or guest speaker.

Other Issues

Arts

Catawba County has many unique characteristics, one of which is the Arts. These organizations cannot be bought, nor can they be purchased. They evolve from the community and exemplify the unique character of our region. Jay and Donna have been long-time supporters of the all the Arts in Catawba County. These components are tremendous assets to our community as we try to attract new businesses and workers. They are also important to our educational efforts and Jay will continue to strongly advocate for support of the Arts.

Personal Interests

Jay spent most of his adult life raising his family and supporting his church along with his wife, Donna. He has a long-time interest in motorsports, photography, and shooting sports. As a photographer, his work was featured in national magazines. He recently donated all of his darkroom equipment to a local high school. He competed in the Civilian Marksmanship Program at a national level. He is A+ rated by the National Rifle Association and has a 4 star rating by Grass Roots North Carolina.