Mr. Martin was elected to the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners in December 2019.

He was born in Cherokee County, SC to the late Reverend Alton and Diane Martin.  His family moved to Polkville, NC at the age of 9 where he was raised and has resided for the remainder of his life.  He graduated from Burns High School in 1983 and earned his North Carolina Educator’s Certification from Isothermal Community College in 2001.  Mr. Martin has been the Metals Manufacturing Teacher at Burns High School from 1998 to the present.  From 1988-1998 he served as a Crew Leader and Heavy Equipment Operator for the former Ronny Turner Construction Company specializing in water, sewer and natural gas utility construction.  Mr. Martin has held a NC Certified Driving Instructor Certification since 2011 and served as a College and Career Promise welding instructor at Cleveland Community College between 2011-2023.  He is a member of Zion Baptist Church where he serves as a Deacon, choir member, Libby Senter Sunday School Teacher and a member of the Brotherhood.  He has also served on the Haiti and Guatemala Mission Teams and various other committees.

He has been married to his wife Carol since 1986 and they have a son and daughter-in-law, a daughter and son-in-law, and four beautiful grandchildren.

In his spare time, Mr. Martin enjoys watching high school football, deer hunting and family events, especially spending time as “Big” with the grandchildren.