Speaker for August:​

Representative Erin Paré

Representative Erin Paré is a mom of two, a military spouse, a local employer and owner of Play-It-Again-Sports in Holly Springs, a former PTA President, and, as a violinist herself, she is the Founder and President of the Holly Strings Youth Orchestra, the non-profit youth string orchestra located in southern Wake County. Erin has served in the North Carolina House of Representatives since January 2021, representing the great the people of District 37 in southern Wake County.

 

Erin and her husband Wayne, a 24-year Army Veteran, settled in Holly Springs after 12 years as an active-duty Army family. As a military spouse, Erin dedicated these years to strengthening military communities and supporting families of deployed soldiers, including serving as the Family Readiness Group Leader for 120 families of the 1st Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment in Savannah, Georgia during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The majority of Wayne’s eight combat deployments to the Middle East took place while the couple was raising their young children, Madison and Cole. Erin is the recipient of the Shield of Sparta Heroine of Infantry Award from the National Infantry Association for her work and dedication to the United States Army.

 

Prior to military life, Erin spent seven years as a government affairs professional in Washington, D.C., representing businesses and trade associations on public policy matters and regulatory reform. Erin served as the director of the Regulatory Improvement Council (RIC), a business coalition which advocated for the improved use of transparency, sound science, and cost-benefit analysis in the federal regulatory decision-making process.

 

Erin grew up in Herndon, Virginia and graduated with a M.A. in International Commerce and Policy and a B.A. in Government International Politics from George Mason University.

 

Erin has 2 sisters, one of whom is a special needs adult and the other a registered nurse. Born with hydrocephalus, Lisa is a survivor of lifelong, life-threatening health complications. Because of Lisa’s story, Erin is an advocate for special-needs children and adults and their families, as well as access to affordable healthcare. 

 

A mother of two children who have been enrolled in Wake County Public Schools since they were in kindergarten and first grade, Erin has been a staunch advocate for elevating public education, making sure parents have access to school choice, and increasing proficiency in K-12 math, reading. In 2022, then-Speaker of the House Tim Moore appointed Rep. Paré as Chair of the House Select Committee on Advancing Women In STEM, which led to increased funding for hands-on STEM learning programs in public schools.

 

Erin currently serves as a Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations; Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on General Government, Committee on Appropriations; the Committee on Energy and Public Utilities (Vice Chair); the Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House (Vice Chair); The Committee on Health; the Committee on Transportation; and the Committee on Homeland Security, Military and Veterans Affairs.

 

Rep. Paré is a member of the Life Science Caucus, the Joint Bipartisan Arts Caucus, and the IDD Caucus.

 

Recently, Rep. Paré has been named a "Jobs Champion" by the NC Chamber of Commerce, “Defender of Public Safety” by the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association, "Firefighter's Friend" from the NC State Firefighter's Association, awarded the “Leadership Excellence Award” from the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association, and the "2025 Advocate of School Psychology Award" from the Association of School Psychologists.