Park Inglefield

Questionnaire from The Chamber of Catawba County

Please tell us a little about yourself and what prompted you to run for office.

I'm a proud fourth-generation North Carolinian. I was born in Statesville and raised in Hickory, where I grew up playing in creeks, running through pastures, and enjoying the natural beauty of the foothills. I attended Hickory Public Schools, and I studied political science at Northeastern University in Boston, graduating with honors. After time away, I came home with a deeper appreciation for the people and places that make this district special.

Today I serve as the North Carolina State Director for a nonpartisan nonprofit that equips the next generation of leaders to advocate for positive change. What prompted me to run is what I hear at doorsteps across our district. Neighbors are worried about the cost of living, and about infrastructure, water systems, healthcare access, and schools. Those problems can't be solved locally. They require strong state leadership, and I'm ready to take your voices to the State House.

What experiences, skills, or perspectives have best prepared you to serve in this role?

In my work with nonpartisan organizing, I train and manage young people across party lines on critical AI regulation policy. That means bringing people with different views together, finding common ground, and turning shared concerns into action. That is the same work a legislator does every day. It has also taught me to understand complex, fast-moving policy issues and explain them clearly.

My political science education gave me a foundation in how government works and how policy is made. But the most important preparation has been listening. The conversations I've had at doorsteps, in parking lots, at community meetings, and over coffee have shown me what my neighbors need. I also bring a perspective shaped by being rooted here: I have a personal stake in whether this community is a place where families can afford to stay, build a life, and thrive.

If elected, what would be your top two priorities?

My first priority is affordability. Families in our district are feeling squeezed by the cost of housing, healthcare, child care, and everyday expenses, and too many people are asking whether they can afford to build a life here. I'll work to lower those costs by expanding access to affordable healthcare, supporting workforce housing and child care, and protecting taxpayer dollars through accountable governance, so people can build a future they can afford.

My second priority is infrastructure: roads and bridges, water and wastewater systems, and broadband. These came up in nearly every conversation I've had, and they can't be solved locally. Strong infrastructure is also the foundation for good jobs and a growing economy. I'd pair it with investment in schools and workforce training, so the people who live here can fill the jobs being created here.

Elected officials often face difficult decisions involving competing priorities, limited resources, and differing perspectives. How would you approach those decisions and work with people who may see an issue differently than you do?

I start by listening. My campaign has been built on conversations with neighbors, business owners, and community leaders, and I'd govern the same way. Before making a hard decision, I want to hear from the people it affects, including those who disagree with me.

I also start from shared goals. Most of us want safe communities, good schools, and a strong economy, and we usually disagree about how to get there. I'll be honest about trade-offs, protect taxpayer dollars through accountable governance, and look for practical solutions instead of scoring political points. My work in nonpartisan advocacy has taught me how to bring people together across party lines around a common goal, and I'd bring those skills to Raleigh.

North Carolina needs reliable funding to build and maintain roads and other infrastructure as the state grows. What infrastructure investments should the state prioritize, and how should North Carolina fund its long-term transportation needs as fuel-tax revenues become less dependable?

The state should prioritize maintaining the roads and bridges we already have, strategic capacity improvements in fast-growing areas, water and wastewater systems, and broadband. On funding, the fuel tax alone can't carry us as vehicles become more efficient and electric. I'd support a transportation finance model that supplements it and ensures all road users contribute fairly, and I'd want it to be transparent, predictable, and accountable, so people can see their dollars go to the projects they were promised.

Employers continue to face challenges finding and retaining skilled workers. How should the state support K–12 schools, community colleges, career and technical education, and other workforce programs to better prepare North Carolinians for available careers?

Education is a workforce strategy, and it starts with the people in the classroom. The state should invest in recruiting and retaining teachers, school staff, and community college instructors, and in early childhood educators and affordable child care, since parents can't work if they can't find care.

We should fund school construction so buildings keep pace with our growth, and expand career and technical education and dual-enrollment pathways so students can graduate with credentials and real career options. I'd also support measuring school success by student growth, not test scores alone. Our community colleges, schools, and employers should work together to make sure what students learn matches the jobs available here.

As North Carolina grows and energy demand increases, what policies should the state pursue to ensure businesses and residents have access to reliable and affordable energy?

As North Carolina grows, demand will grow with it, and businesses and families need power that is both dependable and affordable. The state should support timely investment in energy infrastructure and a diverse mix of renewable energy sources.

Ratepayers deserve transparency and strong regulatory oversight, so people understand what they're paying for and why. I'd balance long-term sustainability goals with what working families and small businesses can actually afford.

Housing availability and affordability can affect workforce recruitment and economic growth. What role should the state play in expanding housing options, and how should state policy balance financing, regulation, infrastructure needs, and local decision-making?

Housing affects everything from workforce recruitment to family stability. The state's role should be to support solutions, not to override communities. That means robust state financing tools that make workforce housing financially feasible, public-private partnerships, and reducing regulatory barriers that add cost without adding value.

Housing also depends on infrastructure. Without water, sewer, and roads, nothing gets built. Local governments know their communities best, so I'd keep decisions about planning and zoning at the local level while giving them the funding and flexibility they need. The goal is housing that people who work here can afford, so families can build stable lives and succeed here at home.

North Carolina recently established a statewide floor for child care subsidy reimbursement rates. What additional steps, if any, should the state take to improve the availability and affordability of high-quality child care and address its impact on families, providers, employers, and workforce participation?

The statewide floor is a meaningful first step, and I'm glad North Carolina took it. It helps providers in every county, including rural ones that were long paid less for the same care. But a floor on reimbursement rates doesn't solve the whole problem. In May 2025, only 12.5% of income-eligible children were being served by the state's subsidy program, and the state has lost 12% of its child care programs since 2019. Families are still on wait lists, and providers are still closing. My first priority is affordability. I'd work to expand subsidy funding so more working families can get help, and I'd make sure the new rates are sustained in future budgets, not left to chance. I'd also invest in the child care workforce. Providers can't stay open without staff, and early educators deserve pay and benefits that let them stay in the profession.

I'd support targeted regulatory flexibility that removes unnecessary barriers to opening or expanding a program while preserving safety and quality, and I'd back efforts to grow the supply of family child care homes, which are especially important in rural areas. I'd also work with employers, who benefit directly when their workers have reliable care. Child care is workforce infrastructure: when parents can find care they can afford, they can work, businesses can hire, and families can build a life here at home.