Dave Craven is a native of Randolph County and is dedicated to serving his community and the State of North Carolina. Dave believes in the core principles of conservatism: limited government, personal responsibility, and individual liberty.
As the youngest state Senator, Dave is a new voice and brings a fresh perspective to Raleigh in order to better represent every North Carolinian. He believes education is the foundation for success, that everyone deserves an opportunity to make a living, and that those who serve causes greater than themselves deserve our respect, gratitude, and admiration. One of his first acts as Senator was to secure passage of relief to North Carolinians suffering from the economic effects of COVID-19.
Dave developed a passion for his community early. He skipped his Eighth Grade graduation ceremony to serve as a page to the late Rep. Arlie Culp in the N.C. House of Representatives. Recognizing Dave's commitment, Culp called Dave an "eternal page" because of his dedication. Years later, while attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Dave put his passion for service to work, getting involved on campus and eventually being elected Student Body President and serving on the Board of Trustees. He graduated with degrees in Accounting, Business Administration, and Political Science.
After graduation, Dave moved back home. As Senior Vice President at Fidelity Bank, Dave has gotten to know generations of Randolph County. He works with farmers, manufacturers, and small business owners to help meet their everyday needs. In fact, the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB)-the nation's leading small business association-endorsed Dave, saying, "Dave understands the challenges facing North Carolina's small businesses....[and will] help small businesses recover safely and fully from the pandemic so they can grow and create jobs."
In addition to his career in banking, Dave has been honored to serve on the:
Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina since 2016 when he was appointed as the youngest board member by the NC Speaker of the House, Tim Moore. He and his fellow board members were tasked with overseeing a $24 million-dollar budget that promotes tourism and actively attracts new business and industry to North Carolina while assisting existing industry in their expansion efforts.
Randolph County Republican Party as Treasurer, Vice Chair, and most recently Chairman. Some of his favorite events from serving over the last decade include the annual Fish Fry at the home of Richard Petty, and the annual Lincoln Day Dinner, where keynote speakers Craven brought in have included Eric and Laura Trump, former U.S. Representative Trey Gowdy, and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, among many other distinguishable public servants.
Randolph County Economic Development Corporation as Treasurer, Vice Chair, and most recently Chairman. He was tasked with recruiting business and industry to the county and assisting business owners with jobs and capital expansion projects.
Asheboro Rotary Club as the immediate past President. During his time, Dave was fortunate enough to travel to Hamburg, Germany in June 2019 for the Rotary International Convention where he met countless dedicated Rotarians from around the globe committed to creating lasting change in our communities.
Dave has also dedicated much of his time to numerous boards in his community including:
Raising funds to provide employee project scholarships while serving on the Randolph Friends of the Zoo.
Serving on the family selection committee for Habitat for Humanity of Randolph County.
Raising funds to assist in the back pack pals program for Communities in Schools.
Serving on the Randolph County Tax Commission and ensuring that appeals to the tax department were reviewed and amended as needed.