Originally from Wilson, Bankston attended North Carolina State University and graduated with his B.S. in Horticulture. After college he lived in Southern Pines for three years before returning to Wilson to start Midsouth Roofing and Construction with his life long friend.

Bankston uses his expertise in construction to make huge developmental strides in downtown Wilson, with a home town feel. His local projects include roofing, construction, and small development projects.

In his spare time he fishes, camps, and enjoys spending time with his family.

Christina L. Bynum is a graduate of the East Carolina University, College of Business, with a concentration in Marketing and Supply Chain Management. She began her postgraduate career in the finance industry with NC State Employees’ Credit Union, where she served the Greenville, NC membership as a Sr. Financial Services Representative. After 5 years with SECU, Christina welcomed a new opportunity in local government where she now works as the Business Development Specialist for the City of Wilson. Her office focuses on business retention, redevelopment, and recruitment for Wilson, NC. She enjoys spending time with family, friends, reading, traveling, and hanging in downtown Wilson!

David originally grew up in the foothills of North Carolina and graduated from Caldwell Community College. He spent 10 years as an executive for YMCA's in NC, VA and PA. He then became an insurance agent for 10 years in VA and NC.

David came to Wilson County in 2019 and worked at North State Consulting before being recruited by Harmonize Learning, an EdTech Company.

David serves as a town commissioner for Elm City. He is also the husband of his beautiful and talented wife, Kristina. And father to his four amazing children, Zac, Drew, Lizzi and Anna Maria.

An Eagle Scout and alumnus of the McCallie School, David graduated from North Carolina State University on a NROTC scholarship with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a Minor in Naval Science. Via is a Navy Veteran of 5 years who served on board USS BAINBRIDGE (DDG 96) and is the recipient of numerous military awards, including the Navy Commendation Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Ribbon. During his service, he was also awarded the peer nominated Navy and Marine Corps Association Leadership Award.

After leaving the Navy, David and his wife Haley moved back to Wilson. Haley works as the Facility Operations and Youth Programs Director for the Foundation YMCA in downtown Wilson. David is a Civil Engineer at Bartlett Engineering & Surveying, PC and serves as Co-President & Chief Operating Officer of Preface Project, an early childhood literacy non-profit. He is also a member of the Mid Atlantic C12 group and NC Baseball Museum Board.

Kendra Via is the Co-Owner of Via Marketing, LLC and carries a wealth of knowledge in the field of Marketing and Communications. She received her Master’s of Business Administration as well as her Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Marketing and Human Resource Management from Mercer University in Macon, GA. Kendra began her postgraduate career as the Director of Marketing for a telecommunications firm with multiple subsidiaries.

Since moving back to Wilson with her husband, Eric Via, Kendra has enjoyed getting involved in the community with local clubs and organizations such as the Junior Women’s Club of Wilson, the Barton Symphony and the Wilson Chamber of Commerce.

Will Edwards is an insurance agent with Farm Bureau in Bailey, NC. Born and raised in Wilson, Will graduated from Hunt High School in 2005. After high school he went on to receive his bachelors in Animal Science and a masters in Nutrition from NC State University. Upon graduating college he came back and taught and coached at Hunt High School for 13 years. He is the husband of the beautiful and talented Meg Edwards, as well as, a father to Grish. He also has another little one on the way! With his roots imbedded deep in Wilson, he has a passion for seeing Wilson thrive.

A Wilson native and 2013 Fike High School graduate, Martha-Scott Benson (known professionally as Lauren Benson) attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she studied history and education. After graduating from UNC in 2017, Martha-Scott moved to Austin, Texas to begin her career in technology sales and consulting for Oracle Corporation. While continuing her career at Oracle, Martha-Scott has also had the opportunity to live in Raleigh, North Carolina and New York, New York. Today, she remains a member of Oracle's sales team as a Senior Sales Consultant. In January 2023, Martha-Scott returned home to Wilson where she has enjoyed spending time with family and friends while reconnecting with her community.

Martha-Scott is also a member of the Junior Women’s Club of Wilson and has enjoyed participating on Gig360’s kickball team. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, painting, music, and spending time with her two cats, Luna and Bellatrix.

Kellianne E. Davis is the Sr. Commercial Economic Developer for ElectriCities. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from High Point University and her Master of Public Administration Degree from East Carolina University.

Relative to her career in local government, Kellianne enjoys learning about and implementing various solutions to help foster economic development, create community pride, and promote the welfare of all in the communities she serves.