Dale Folwell

In addition to being the, "point man on long-overdue reforms to the state’s unemployment insurance system" Fowell oversaw a number of reforms that increased efficiency in the Department of Employment Security. Reform efforts resulted in significantly decreased wait times at the DES call center, faster disposition of cases and more effective procedures for identifying fraudulent claims. These procedures included implementation of an administrative wait week, as well as photo ID requirements.

In 2013, Folwell was named head of the state's Division of Employment Security in the administration of Governor Pat McCrory. He resigned from that position, effective December 1, 2015. That day, he filed to run for State Treasurer in the 2016 election.

When Folwell assumed his duties at the Department of Employment Security (DES), North Carolina's unemployment insurance system owed the federal government approximately $2.5 billion. In thirty months DES paid off this debt and built a $1 billion surplus. As a result, North Carolina businesses saved more than $550 million in taxes during 2015-2016 with decreases to their Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) and State Unemployment Tax Act (SUTA) charges.

On March 13, 2013 Secretary of Commerce Sharon Decker announced that Dale Folwell will become the Assistant Secretary of Employment Security at the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

In December 2011, Folwell announced that he would not seek re-election to his North Carolina House seat in 2012. Instead, he ran for N.C. Lieutenant Governor but was defeated by Dan Forest and Tony Gurley in the May 2012 primary.

“North Carolina employers have shouldered the financial responsibility in repaying this $2.8 billion debt and $283 million interest to the federal government since 2011,” said DES Assistant Secretary Dale Folwell. “In the last year we have made tremendous progress and have reached a reserve balance of over $1 billion in the state unemployment trust fund. Building this fund to more than $1 billion saved employers millions of dollars more.”

After the first half of the 2011-12 session eight of the eleven bills Folwell introduced became law. Governor Bev Perdue signed six of them into law and allowed two to become law without her signature.

A 2010 ranking of the non-partisan North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research ranked Folwell 38th in effectiveness in the House, down from 32nd the prior session. In both sessions, Folwell ranked as one of the more effective members of the minority party. The North Carolina Free Enterprise Foundation gave Rep. Folwell a top 10 business rating among all state representatives and senators for the 2011 legislative session. The 2011 NCFEF business rating report ranked him seventh in the House. In 2009, Civitas Action rated him the most conservative member of the House. In 2011, Civitas Action ranked Folwell as the 6th most conservative member of the House.

In the 2009-10 session Folwell introduced twenty bills. Eight of them passed the legislature and were signed into law by Gov. Perdue.

His House committee assignments included: Appropriations, Commerce & Job Development, Finance, Government, Insurance, Rules, Calendar & Operations of the House, and State Personnel. He was a chairman of the Finance Committee and vice-chairman of the State Personnel Committee. He was also chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and a member of the Commerce and Job Development Subcommittee on Business and Labor. From 2007-2008 he served as Joint Republican Caucus Leader.

In the 2007-08 session Folwell introduced fourteen bills. Six of them passed the legislature, and were signed by Gov. Mike Easley into law.

In May 1999, Folwell's 7-year-old son Dalton died after being hit by a car as he tried to board a school bus. Following the accident, he and his wife allowed their son to be an organ donor. Since then, Folwell has been an advocate for organ donation. In 2006, he set out on a month-long motorcycle ride around the United States raising awareness and money for organ and blood donation. He set the record for the most miles driven on a motorcycle in one month on October 1, 2006 with 32,978 miles.

In the 2005-06 session, as a freshman, Folwell introduced ten bills. Gov. Easley signed five of them into law.

In 2004 Folwell was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives receiving 62.9% of votes. He served four terms, and was elected Speaker Pro Tempore for the 2011-2012 session.

From 1992 to 2000 Folwell served on the Forsyth County School Board.

After graduating from the NC Institute of Political Leadership in 1989, he served on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education from 1993 to 2000.

Dale Folwell (born 17 December 1958) is the current North Carolina State Treasurer, and former Speaker Pro Tempore of the North Carolina House of Representatives. A Republican from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he served four terms in the North Carolina General Assembly.

On December 17, 1958, Folwell was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He attended West Forsyth High School and received his BS in accounting from UNC Greensboro in 1984. He passed the Certified Public Accounting Exam and went on to receive his Masters in Accounting from UNC Greensboro in 1986. He is a former Vice President and Registered Investment Advisor for Deutsche Bank/Alex Brown.