Senator, North Carolina State Senate, District 7, 2023-present

Candidate, North Carolina State Senate, District 7, 2024

Senator, North Carolina State Senate, District 9, 2014-2019. 2021-2023

Chair, Appropriations/Base Budget Committee

Chair, Education/Higher Education Committee

Member, Finance Committee

Member, Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations

Vice Chair, Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Education

Member, Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services

Member, Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety

Member, Judiciary Committee

Member, Rules and Operations of the Senate Committee

Former Member, Appropriations on Education/Higher Education Committee, North Carolina State Senate

Former Member, Commerce Committee, North Carolina State Senate

Former Co-Chair, Education/Higher Education Committee, North Carolina State Senate

Former Member, Elections (Select Committee), North Carolina State Senate

Former Member, Information Technology Committee, North Carolina State Senate

Former Member, Insurance Committee, North Carolina State Senate

Former Member, Judiciary Committee, North Carolina State Senate

Former Member, Nominations (Select Committee), North Carolina State Senate

Appointed by Senate Pro Tem Phil Berger, Former Chair, North Carolina Port Authority

Former Member, Program Evaluation Committee, North Carolina State Senate

Former Member, Redistricting Committee, North Carolina State Senate

Former Member, Rules and Operations of the Senate Committee, North Carolina State Senate

Former Member, State and Local Government Committee, North Carolina State Senate

Former Member, UNC Board of Governors Select Committee, North Carolina State Senate

Managing Member, Lee Kaess Law Firm, PLLC, 2012-present

Former Adjunct Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Partner, Smith Moore Leatherwood, LLP, 2005-2012

Member, New Hanover County Bar Association, present

Member, North Carolina Bar Association, present

Member, North Carolina Courts Commission, present

Member, Park Sterling Bank Advisory Board, present

Member, Rotary Club, present

Member, Saint John's Episcopal Church, present

Member, South Carolina Bar Association, present

Former Member, Chamber of Commerce Local Government Affairs Committee

Former Member, City of Wilmington Board of Adjustment

Former Chair, New Hanover County Board of Adjustment

Former Member, North Carolina Board of Transportation

Former Member, North Carolina Department of Transportation Board

Former Chair, North Carolina Port Authority Board of Directors

Former Volunteer, North Carolina Society to Prevent Blindness

Former Member, North Carolina State Logistics Strategic Planning Subcommittee

Former Member, The Carousel Center for Abused Children Board of Directors

Former Chair, Wilmington Academy of Arts and Sciences Board of Directors

Awards:

Named through the years by Business North Carolina Magazine as one of North Carolina's Legal Elite and selected by Law & Politics Magazine for inclusion in North Carolina Super Lawyers. In addition, I was named as one of North Carolina's Top 100 lawyers in the State and the only lawyer from Wilmington to receive this honor. Finally, I am deeply honored to have been included in The Best Lawyers in America Directory.