A Duplin County native , Valerie has an extensive back ground in real estate with her family owning and operating brokerage firms in Duplin County for over 35 years . A 1994 graduate of East Carolina University, she worked in the human services sector for 15 years, and taught at the college level prior to returning to take over the family business in 2005. Valerie holds the Resort and Second Home Specialist Designation, and Military Relocation Professional Certification. In her free time she enjoys traveling with her husband, remodeling and flipping property, and spending time with their three chihuahua's.