Meet Tucker McKenzie, candidate for MCS Board of Education

Moore County School parents deserve someone from the community that truly understands it. I grew up in Vass and formed lasting friendships in the Moore County School System. My grandpa, Lane Bullock, taught me the importance of hard work and community service early on. Through his TV and Appliance repair business and his involvement with the church and Lions Club, he showed me how to serve others. I often accompanied him on service trips, learning to care for others’ belongings and helping with tasks like mowing around the church or distributing food, toys, and clothes during Christmas. These experiences gave me invaluable gratitude.

I attended Vass-Lakeview Elementary, where I was fortunate to have supportive teachers and counselors from kindergarten through sixth grade. Their encouragement helped me realize my potential. I was part of the first seventh grade class at New Century Middle School and remember voting on the mascot, hoping for the New Century Rockets. This was a significant change, introducing me to a larger school and new people. Later, I attended Union Pines High School, where I met my wife. We’ve been together ever since, and I consider myself lucky to have met her kind and supportive soul when I did. After graduating, I initially wanted to get right to the workforce, but after receiving the Moore County Homebuilders Association Scholarship, my mom encouraged me to attend Sandhills Community College. My guidance counselor at SCC, who was also my former teacher, helped me find the civil engineering program, and I graduated with dual degrees.

I continue to support Moore County Schools by volunteering with STEM camps and the Lego League team. Helping kids discover new opportunities is rewarding. At Sandhills Community College, I also enjoy engaging with industry experts, sharing insights on technology trends, and learning about curriculum developments on the Engineering & Construction Technology Advisory Board.

Our daughter has attended McDeeds Creek Elementary School for six years and will be soon moving on to middle school. Throughout her time at McDeeds, she has been blessed with the best teachers and staff. By volunteering countless hours, my wife and I have seen how the education system works at the ground level. Seeing the support teachers provide to students is truly inspiring, and I want to be able to free them up to focus more on that.

After graduating from Sandhills Community College, I started working in the survey, design, and engineering field. I've been fortunate enough to be at the same company for 20 years. I've had the pleasure of working my way up from an entry level Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) technician to my current position of Practice Area Lead, where I get the opportunity to oversee a team of engineers and designers across the state. I've worked on projects as small as a ten space parking addition and as large as an Amazon automatic sort facility that is large enough to house more than 50 football fields.

These projects have afforded me the opportunity to really grow both professionally and personally. I've learned technical engineering skills of designing sites and project management, but I've also obtained invaluable soft skills including communication, servant leadership, and emotional intelligence.

All of my experiences, including my early childhood with my grandpa, my experience going through the Moore County Schools system, and my profession experience, allow me to provide a unique perspective to our Board of Education and help lead us into the future.