Chris J. Suggs

Organizer, communicator, connector.

Chris is the Founder & CEO of Kinston Teens, Inc., a nonprofit organization he started in October 2014 operating at the intersections of youth empowerment and community development. From transforming vacant lots into neighborhood amenities, to building platforms for young people to be involved in government and make their voices heard, Kinston Teens works to ensure that Chris’s peers and local community are both thriving. The organization coordinates voter registration efforts, leadership trainings, social events, and more initiatives for young people in Kinston, North Carolina.

Born and raised in East Kinston, Chris has always been driven by a passion to make a difference in his hometown. His real estate investment journey began at the age of fifteen when he purchased his first property, transforming an abandoned lot across from his grandmother’s house into a small park for family gatherings. In 2017, while starting his first year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chris purchased another abandoned property through tax foreclosure, which would later become the Kinston Teens Neighborhood Hub. Now, at 23-years-old, Chris has amassed a real estate portfolio of more than twenty properties with a personal aim to empower communities through innovative development solutions that foster economic advancement and create lasting positive change.

Since August 2016, Chris has served as a Commissioner on the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, the state advisory board to the Governor on issues relating to crime, justice, and law enforcement. In 2018, Chris was appointed to the NC Task Force on Safer Schools, the state board that advises policy and legislation to improve the safety of North Carolina’s schools and school communities. Chris’s proudest accomplishments in this capacity include helping to change North Carolina’s law of prosecuting 16- & 17-year-old non-violent offenders as adults and now allowing them to be serviced under the juvenile justice system, and the implementation of an anonymous school safety reporting app in North Carolina public schools for students to assist in keeping their schools safe.

In April 2019, Chris represented his community and state when he testified before Congress in a hearing on the global climate crisis. Chris’s hometown of Kinston and surrounding areas in Eastern North Carolina have been devastated by several floods and hurricanes in recent years, and Chris shared their story of resilience and advocated for funding and legislation to address climate change and flood mitigation efforts.

Chris is a champion for youth leadership and has worked to promote these important values on platforms and with companies such as Facebook, Nickelodeon, First Lady Michelle Obama’s Better Make Room Campaign, CNN, NBC, ABC News 20/20, and The Huffington Post.

Locally, Chris won an election to the Kinston City Council in November 2021 and is currently the youngest elected official in North Carolina. In this role, Chris has spearheaded projects related to affordable housing, food insecurity, and community development. As a member of the National League of Cities, Chris has dedicated his time and expertise to the Community & Economic Development Federal Advocacy Committee, where he contributes to federal policy discussions and lobbying aimed at fostering community development and improving the overall quality of life.

Chris is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with degrees in Political Science and Religious Studies. On campus, he served as President of the Black Student Movement—UNC’s largest cultural organization—and as Senior Class President for his graduating class.

Please direct all inquiries to chris@chrisjsuggs.com.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3355, Kinston, NC 28502

For inquiries related to Chris’s City Council role, contact the City of Kinston at (252) 939-3115 or at www.kinstonnc.gov.