T.J. was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and lived in Illinois when he was younger. However, he has spent 29 years of his life, including the last 23, as a resident of North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for both undergraduate studies and law school. He has been practicing law in Lenoir since 1994. He was elected to the Lenoir City Council in 2003 and is currently serving his second term.

He married his wife, Lisa, in 1991. They have two children: Benjamin, 14, and Jason, 11. His hobbies include reading, racquetball, watching old movies, and using computers.

He also is very passionate about the Victory Junction Gang Camp for Special Needs Children in Randleman, NC. On the left is a picture of his family at the camp in November of 2007. For more information regarding Victory Junction, please visit their website here.