In high school, Ted opened the newspaper (back when it was actually in paper) and read about a local government leaders development program called Emerging Leaders funded by the North Fulton County Chamber of Commerce. There he met the people behind the curtain that made his nearby governments function, and he discovered a passion for public service at the local level. Ted went on to study hard at the University of Georgia and graduated cum laude with a triple major in Political Science, French Language, and International Affairs. While in school, he was accepted into the Washington Semester Program, and he interned in DC at Dentons in the lobbying office. After graduating, he started work back at the local level in the City of Roswell where he worked with invoicing for their nationally recognized recreation and parks department. Currently, Ted is a graduate research assistant for the Carl Vinson Institute of Government in the financial management department, where he researches and analyzes financial management courses and their efficacy.