Karl Ellis Gillespie

Karl Gillespie is a fifth-generation resident of Macon County. He attended Franklin High School and Southwestern Community College. His career began in the telecommunications industry in 1982. In 1999, he founded National Communications, Inc., a regional company specializing in low-voltage communication systems. Gillespie also runs a family farm with registered black Angus cattle. Prior to his state-level role, he served as a Macon County commissioner from 2016 to 2020. He was first elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2020 and assumed office on January 1, 2021. He is married to Janet Taylor Gillespie and they have one son.