Kinston businessman Jim Perry only joined the General Assembly three years ago, but he’s quickly become one of the most influential Republican senators. He currently chairs two health care committees and a committee addressing flooding issues that have plagued his area of the state through recent hurricanes.

Age: 50

What jobs have you’ve held outside of politics? I spent over 20 years in the dental space working for private equity. I served as the chief operating officer of a business with 240 locations in 40 states and roughly 3,000 team members. When I got there it was a small family-owned business, and over time it grew to just under $3 billion in enterprise value. Today, I am a private investor.  I made the personal commitment to dedicate my full-time efforts to the N.C. Senate for this period of my life.  I have no intention to serve forever, but I do want to see what may be accomplished with focused commitment.

What lessons from those roles have you applied to your elected position?

• Life is all about people.  You can’t see the pain or happiness they have felt in life, but it has shaped them.
• No one person has all of the answers.  Throughout history, arrogance and insecurity have prevented the development of many great ideas.
• Execution eats strategy for breakfast.  I would rather have world class execution of a decent plan versus a perfect plan with poor execution.

Where do you most enjoy taking an out-of-town visitor in your district? I am pretty sure it is settled law that eastern NC is the BBQ Mecca of our state. I enjoy taking visitors for that life-changing culinary experience.

What is your favorite hobby outside of work? I like to hunt and fish, generally, but I absolutely love duck hunting. I soak it all up – the early mornings, the beautiful birds, but most all of all, I enjoy the fellowship.

Who do you most admire, and why? No one is perfect, but I will always be a big Ronald Reagan fan.  He was a gifted communicator.  I liked his style and wish we could bring back that era of civility.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about how to get legislation passed? Help other people pass legislation that is important to them.  You need friends in both chambers in order to move your bills.  It is smarter to collect friends versus cultivating enemies.