Park Inglefield (Mayor of Hickory, North Carolina, candidate 2025)

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Park Inglefield

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Mayor of Hickory

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

Northeastern University

Personal

Religion

Christian: Presbyterian

Profession

Nonprofit program director

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Park Inglefield ran for election for Mayor of Hickory in North Carolina. She was on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source]

Inglefield completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Park Inglefield provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2025:

• Birth date: July 22, 1994
• Bachelor's: Northeastern University
• Gender: Female
• Religion: Christian: Presbyterian
• Profession: Nonprofit Program Director
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Crafting the Future of Hickory. Responsibly.
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram

Elections

General election

General election for Mayor of Hickory

Hank Guess and Park Inglefield ran in the general election for Mayor of Hickory on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Hank Guess (Nonpartisan)
		Park Inglefield (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Inglefield in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Park Inglefield completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Inglefield's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Statesville and raised in Hickory from age four. A proud product of Hickory Public Schools—attending Viewmont Elementary, Northview and Grandview Middle Schools, and Hickory High School—my faith was nurtured at Northminster Presbyterian Church, where I grew up surrounded by mentors who believed in me. I studied political science at Northeastern University in Boston, graduating with honors and a minor in psychology. I spent ten years in Boston working in public service and training women to run for political office.

In 2022, I returned home determined to give back to the city that raised me. I have worked with several nonprofit organizations, including serving as Deputy State Director for Rise Free. I also completed a year on the Catawba Grand Jury, witnessing firsthand the challenges our community faces with domestic violence, child endangerment, and substance abuse. Today, I serve as the North Carolina State Director for Young People's Alliance, a nonpartisan nonprofit that equips the next generation of leaders to advocate for positive change.

I'm running for Mayor because I believe voters deserve choices they can be excited about in every election. When I saw an opportunity for fresh leadership, I decided to step forward and serve. When I'm not working or campaigning, you can find me enjoying Crawdads games, supporting local theater, or exploring Hickory's local shops and restaurants.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I'll grow Hickory's economy through a three-pronged approach: First, better serve our existing industries by streamlining permitting, addressing infrastructure needs, and facilitating workforce development partnerships with local educational institutions. Second, attract new employers by marketing our strategic location and quality of life. Third, support local businesses and entrepreneurs through small business development programs, networking events, and reduced regulatory barriers. This comprehensive strategy builds a healthier, more diverse economy where residents have opportunities to thrive, young people can build careers, and families can prosper in the community they love.
• The city's budget has grown by more than $55M over the last eight years. This year's budget is more than $14M more than last year's - that's more than $1M a month in new spending. This is not sustainable, nor does it factor in the nearly $300 million of unfunded water and sewer projects. We need fresh eyes and new oversight on the city budget. I will bring fiscal responsibility to City Hall through fresh oversight, smarter spending, and transparent budget processes that prioritize essential services and infrastructure.
• As mayor, I'll transform Hickory into a walkable city through a comprehensive Complete Streets approach. Pedestrian infrastructure costs far less than car-centered development while generating higher tax revenue per acre and increasing home values $500-$3,000 per Walk Score point. I'll start with an infrastructure audit identifying key corridors to schools and businesses, then prioritize improvements using federal/state grants to avoid burdening taxpayers. My approach will be systematic: Phase 1: Connect the Hickory Trail to underserved neighborhoods. Phase 2: Expand safe routes to schools and businesses. Phase 3: Create a complete network that ensures every resident can safely walk or bike to essential services.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I'm passionate about economic growth—supporting existing businesses while attracting new investment. A strong local economy means better jobs and quality of life for everyone. I'm equally passionate about fiscal responsibility. Our budget isn't sustainable, and we have hundreds of millions in unfunded infrastructure needs. Residents deserve disciplined oversight.
Finally, I care about making Hickory better connected. We need safe streets, well-resourced emergency services, and responsive government. Residents should know what services are available. These issues are interconnected. Fiscal responsibility enables investment. Economic growth creates opportunity. Transparent government lets everyone build the community we want.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My grandmother, Anita Arneson Pressly, is the person I look up to most. My grandmother was no stranger to loss and personal tragedy, yet she remained constant in her faith and her drive to help others. When her son, my uncle John, was born with severe mental and physical disabilities, she dedicated forty years to pioneering services for special needs children and adults in the Iredell County community. She earned The Order of the Long Leaf Pine in recognition of her decades of dedication to one of our most vulnerable and overlooked populations.

She taught me that true leadership means serving those who need it most—especially the people our community too often overlooks. She showed me that hard work in service of others is never wasted, and that advocacy requires both compassion and persistence.
My grandmother passed away in 2020 at 98 years old, leaving behind a legacy of love and service for her family to carry forward. I feel her with me in this campaign. Her example guides every decision I make—to listen to those who aren't being heard, to fight for those who can't fight for themselves, and to never shy away from hard work when it means helping others.

That's the kind of mayor I want to be. That's the legacy I want to honor.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important characteristics are accountability, accessibility, and integrity. An elected official must be accountable—willing to own their decisions, explain their reasoning, and adjust course when something isn't working. They must be accessible—every constituent deserves responsive service, not just those with personal connections to leadership. And they must have integrity—making decisions based on what's best for the community, not what's politically convenient or personally beneficial.
Beyond these, effective officials must be collaborative listeners who seek input before making decisions, fiscally responsible stewards of taxpayer resources, and transparent communicators who keep citizens informed. They should base decisions on evidence and research rather than ideology, and they should never shy away from difficult conversations or challenging decisions. Most importantly, an elected official's only loyalty should be to the people they serve.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities of Hickory's mayor are threefold: First, to provide strategic vision and leadership for our city's future while working collaboratively with the city council. Second, to serve as the primary representative and advocate for all Hickory residents—ensuring every voice is heard and every neighborhood receives equal attention. Third, to provide oversight and accountability for city operations, ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and city services meet the needs of our community.
Additionally, the mayor must foster partnerships with community organizations, business leaders, and regional stakeholders to advance Hickory's interests. The mayor should be accessible to constituents, responsive to their concerns, and proactive in addressing challenges before they become crises. Ultimately, every responsibility comes back to one question: is this decision making life better for the people of Hickory?

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want my legacy to be a city where people remember that their government worked for them—not developers, not special interests, but the residents who call Hickory home. My legacy isn't about buildings with my name on them or ribbon-cutting ceremonies. It's about changing the relationship between City Hall and the people it serves. Years from now, I want Hickory families—whether they're making $40K or $400K—to be able to afford a home here. I want local businesses thriving on walkable streets. But most of all, I want to restore civic engagement and the understanding that elected officials are your neighbors and your servants, not your bosses. When people believe their voice matters, they use it—and that's when real change happens.

A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?

Leadership means setting a vision, building consensus, and empowering others to achieve shared goals. As mayor, I wouldn't have day-to-day administrative control—that's the city manager's role—but I would have something equally important: the ability to convene stakeholders, drive policy priorities, and ensure city government remains responsive to citizen needs.

If the mayor in your city is a member of the city council and there's a city manager appointed to handle the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe should be the mayor's top priority in office?

The mayor's top priority should be advocating for the people they represent and keeping citizens at the center of every decision. While the mayor may not have legal "power" in our council-manager system, they have something equally important: a platform. The mayor's voice carries weight, and that voice should belong to the residents—not developers, not special interests, but the people who call Hickory home. The mayor should serve as a bridge between residents and city government. Too many citizens feel their concerns fall on deaf ears unless they have personal connections to leadership. I would change that by ensuring every resident has equal access to responsive government, regardless of their neighborhood or connections. The mayor should also focus on strategic priorities that require mayoral leadership: setting fiscal policy direction, guiding comprehensive planning, fostering economic development partnerships, and ensuring equity across all city services. The city manager handles implementation; the mayor ensures we're implementing the right priorities in the right way for the right reasons—with community input, not behind closed doors.
The platform matters. And as mayor, I'll use that platform every single day to amplify residents' voices and hold our government accountable to the people it serves.

What do you love most about your city?

What I love most about Hickory is its people—the sense of community that still exists here. This is a city where local businesses are run by families who've been here for generations and where people genuinely care about making things better for the next generation.

I love that Hickory raised me, shaped my values, and welcomed me back when I returned from college. I love our rich industrial heritage and the work ethic that built this city. I love the potential I see in our city, the natural beauty surrounding us, and the strong network of nonprofits and community organizations working to address our challenges.

Most of all, I love that Hickory is a city where positive change is still possible—where the right leadership can make a real difference in people's daily lives. We're not so large that citizens can't access their elected officials, but we're substantial enough to tackle meaningful challenges and attract real opportunities.

What do you perceive to be your city's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Our greatest challenges are interconnected: aging infrastructure that requires significant investment, economic development that creates opportunity for all residents, and housing affordability that allows working families to build lives here.

First, our infrastructure—roads, water systems, stormwater management—is aging and will require strategic investment. We must prioritize these improvements wisely, using data to guide decisions and pursuing every available grant to reduce taxpayer burden.
Second, economic stagnation threatens our long-term vitality. We need to retain and expand existing businesses, attract compatible new employers, and support local entrepreneurs. This requires streamlined processes, workforce development partnerships, and infrastructure that supports growth.
Third, the lack of affordable housing is pushing families out of our community. We need policies that encourage diverse housing options without compromising neighborhood character, and we must ensure development serves our residents' needs, not just developers' profits.

The underlying challenge connecting all of these is ensuring equitable access and treatment across all neighborhoods. Every part of Hickory deserves equal attention, investment, and responsive city services. If we can achieve that equity while addressing our infrastructure, economic, and housing challenges, Hickory will thrive for the next generation.

Candidates hear many personal stories from voters. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching or memorable?

After talking with a young girl in Hickory about my campaign, she proclaimed to me that she now wants to run for mayor one day. Seeing her determination and excitement reminded me of why this campaign matters beyond any single policy or project. For too long, people have felt disconnected from local government—like City Hall is somewhere "other people" belong. But when a child sees someone like them running for office, speaking plainly about real issues, and treating public service as exactly that—service—it changes what they believe is possible. I'm proud to serve as an example of what's possible for young people in Hickory, and as a reminder that anyone who has the drive and care to serve their community should consider running for office. You don't need to be wealthy or connected. You just need to care about your neighbors and be willing to show up. That little girl will be watching how we govern—whether we keep our promises, whether we listen to residents, whether we treat this position as a privilege to serve rather than a position of power. If my legacy is inspiring the next generation to believe their voice matters and that they belong in these conversations, then everything else will have been worth it.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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