By Mebane Rash and Mary Ann Wolf for EducationNC and as appearing in the Wilkes Journal-Patriot
Destin Hall (R-Caldwell), North Carolina’s 121st House speaker, is committed to lower taxes, limited government, and conservative values and principles, according to his campaign website.
He represents the 87th district, which includes Caldwell and Watauga counties. This is his fifth term in the House, serving since the 2017-18 session of the legislature. He was first elected in 2016 at the age of 29.
Hall, 37, support expanding school choice, educational reform and strengthening the education system.
He knows public schools, public school policy and public school law, having attended public schools in Caldwell County and serving as the attorney to the Caldwell County Schools Board of Education.
Caldwell is Home
Hall grew up in Lenoir and was raised by his grandparents. He attended Gamewell Elementary School and Gamewell Middle School before graduating from West Caldwell High School, where he was a varsity athlete on both the baseball and soccer teams. He has continued to provide support for the high school, even for prom.
In college, he double majored in finance and insurance, graduating from Appalachian State University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration. Hall was the first in his family to earn a college degree, and he has advised students who want to pursue his college pathway.
Hall received his Juris Doctor from the Wake Forest University School of Law in 2014, where he had the highest class grade in trial practice and advanced trial practice.
In April 2016, he joined the law firm of Wilson, Lackey, Rohr & Hall in Lenoir, where he serves clients as a general practice attorney. He previously worked for SeiferFlatow in Charlotte, and Fleischer & Hall in Hickory and Lenoir.
Hall lives in Granite Falls with his wife, Madison Skeens Hall, who is also a lawyer and previously worked at the N.C. School Boards Association. They married in December 2023 and are expecting their first child in May 2025. The Halls attend Union Grove Baptist Church.
When Hall was first elected, he was chosen by his peers to be the majority freshman leader of the House Republican Caucus. That session, he served on the education committee. He has served as chair of the powerful Rules Committee since 2020.
Hall was nominated to be speaker by the House Republican Caucus, and Republicans hold a 71-49 majority this session, which Hall has called a “working supermajority.” The caucus vote to elect Hall to be speaker was “by acclimation and uncontested.“
As a school board attorney, Hall works on education issues almost daily. Because state appropriations for education are almost 40% of the budget’s general fund, he says education is often the top issue in each session of the legislature.
Hall believes in expanding school choice within public school districts as well as the expansion of school choice to private schools.
Raised by his grandparents, Hall says a key issue is how to get parents more involved in their child’s education. He says he had great teachers in Caldwell County, and he credits his grandparents for their encouragement of him. But he knows firsthand how a student’s home life impacts kids and so he wants more and more opportunities to involve parents.
His top priority is student outcomes. “That is what we are here for,” he says, “educating the next generation.”
Hall has championed teacher pay raises and urged people to thank educators. “Let teachers teach,” he says. “They are educated professionals, and we should let them do their jobs.”
He wants every school in North Carolina to have a school resource officer and opposes transgender athletes from joining sports teams of the opposite biological sex. Hall often has student art in his legislative office.
Superintendent Don Phipps and members of the Caldwell County School Board were on hand for Hall’s swearing in as speaker. “Hall is a genuine, authentic person who is a part of our community,” says Phipps, the 2023 NC Superintendent of the Year.
“Destin’s ability to listen first and respond later is always appreciated as he seeks to understand the details before responding or taking action. It is reassuring having worked with him on our local education issues to know how he will approach the larger state-level issues in the speaker role.”
Community Colleges
Hall wants North Carolina to have an environment that is good for business, and he knows “the difference is the education system,” he says, including the UNC System, the N.C. Community College System, and the K-12 system.
On his election as speaker, Hall’s local community college, Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute (CCC&TI), posted, “We want to thank Speaker Hall for his support of CCC&TI, our students, and the communities we serve. We look forward to working with Speaker Hall to continue providing quality educational opportunities for everyone in our community.”
In his capacity as an elected representative of the community, Hall has worked with the community college since his first term, through COVID, and he met with the board of trustees in February 2024.
“CCC&TI is a vital part of Caldwell County and I am proud to provide support,” Hall has said.
President Dr. Mark Poarch notes Hall’s interest in rural communities, education, community colleges, attainment, and workforce needs.
On Jan. 7, 2025, Hall announced his team for the Office of the Speaker of the House, according to this press release. Neal Inman is the chief of staff. An attorney, he has served in that role since December 2020. Demi Dowdy is the deputy chief of staff for communications and external affairs. She has served in that role since May 2021. Courtney Taylor is director of digital media.
Lewis King is the deputy chief of staff for policy and budget. He most recently served as a government advisor Raleigh-based law firm of Manning, Fulton & Skinner, and previously served as a policy advisor to Speaker Tim Moore.
Sam Hayes will serve as general counsel, Kenan Drum will serve as deputy general counsel, and Sumit Gupta will serve as deputy general counsel and senior policy advisor.
Jeffrey Elmore of North Wilkesboro is a senior policy advisor to Hall. Elmore served for six terms as a representative in the House and was an arts educator in Wilkes County Schools for 22 years. David Cobb, William Cobb and Grace Irvin will serve as policy advisors.
Julie Garrison is director of operations, and she has been on the team of the Office of the Speaker of the House since 2012. Kari Cobb has been serving as Hall’s executive assistant since March 2022.
“These talented individuals bring a wealth of experience and dedication to our team. Their expertise will help the North Carolina House deliver for the people of this state,” said Hall.
Helene Recovery
In one of his first acts as the newly-elected Speaker of the House, Hall announced on Jan. 10, 2025 a House “Select Committee on Hurricane Helene Recovery” to address the ongoing needs of communities affected by the storm, according to this press release.
Hall meeting with leaders on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, urging Congress and FEMA to provide greater support for WNC. Courtesy of Destin Hall
“The bipartisan committee will focus on assessing recovery efforts, identifying gaps in resources, and ensuring state and federal assistance is delivered efficiently to those in need. Members of the committee will work closely with local leaders, emergency management officials, and nonprofit organizations to support recovery and rebuilding efforts,” says the press release.
“Hurricane Helene caused widespread devastation across North Carolina, and it’s our duty to ensure impacted communities have the resources they need to rebuild stronger than before,” said Hall.
“We are fully committed to Western North Carolina and will see this recovery through to the very end, and this committee will play a vital role in providing the oversight and leadership needed to ensure a strong and lasting recovery.”
The preceding article originally appeared on January 15, 2025 at the Wilkes Journal-Patriot’s website and is made available here for educational purposes only. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Photo above of Speaker Destin Hall by David Cobb.
