Get to know your Marvin candidates!
Joseph Barbara
Joe Barbara is running for Village of Marvin Mayor. His goal is to re-install confidence with the residents and taxpayers of Marvin, by preserving the long-time legacy Marvin has as a suburban, bedroom community with controlled growth, low taxes, low-density growth, supporting our top-ranked public schools, and keep Marvin a highly desirable location to raise a family.
Originally from Corning, NY, Joe has lived in NC since 1984 and has been a resident of Marvin since 2007. As a graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in Political Science, Joe chose the business route out of college as a stockbroker, which segued a 30-year career in the consumer products industry from large fortune 10 companies to privately held mid-cap, and small cap companies. His broad experience in strategic high-level account management, team management, relationship/consensus building, have played a key role in solving problems, while avoiding new ones, and achieving overall success. These skills are critical in dealing with the challenges Marvin faces currently.
Joe and his wife Jennifer have lived in Marvin since June 2007. They have 2 children: Benjamin, a 2025 graduate of the IB program at Marvin Ridge High School who began his first year at The United States Military Academy at West Point on June 30, 2025, and Julia who is a rising 5th grader at Marvin Elementary. Culturally, our family believes in servant leadership. We try to achieve this value through our faith, how we live our lives, raise our children, and volunteer our time. Most notably, but not all, Joe has volunteered as a co-Catechist at St. Matthew Catholic Church for Sacrament of Confirmation candidates, has been a volunteer transporter of injured reptiles, birds and raptors with Carolina Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Carolina Waterfowl Rescue and Carolina Raptor Center, volunteered at Samaritan’s Purse, and volunteered with Habitat Builders (formerly MARSH) during the dumped tire clean up in Marvin Creek in 2023 .
Joe’s first run for Mayor of Marvin occurred in 2009, where property rights for Marvin residents dealing with over-reaching, mandated greenway easements, were the hot topic. Joe lost by a handful of votes during a recount, but the new council voted to reverse all the encroaching easements forced upon the residents of Marvin in 2010.
Since 2010, he has observed the decisions of our current and past councils, and felt it was time for a change. Joe decided to run for mayor again because he has observed a fundamental shift and disconnect in the goals of our elected officials versus what the citizens of Marvin desire from their governing body. Joe believes that he can revive the sense of unity and purpose that the Village of Marvin needs while returning an amicable spirit of collaboration back to Village business and politics.
There are multiple issues in the Village, and all lead up to these 3 pillars:
Marvin Economics: reduce taxes and spending. This can be achieved rather easily with discipline.
Vision of the Village: Narrow/eliminate the scope of projects the current council is committed to. Focus on common-sense, smart, low-density development; mitigate the impact the areas surrounding Marvin have on us as a Village.
Public Trust: In the 18 years I have lived in Marvin, the relationship between Village leadership and the electorate has never been this disconnected or toxic. Much of this can be swiftly corrected with the proper council and Mayor at the helm. Marvin Council needs to regain the trust and respect of the residents/taxpayers.
Tom Eck
Tom Eck is running for Village of Marvin Council to safeguard the things that make Marvin truly special—its quiet charm, rural character, and strong community spirit—while bringing the steady, experienced leadership needed to guide the village through critical choices about growth, development, and fiscal stewardship.
Originally from Carson City, Nevada, Tom has called Marvin home since 2021, alongside his wife, Elizabeth. They were drawn here by the town’s natural beauty, welcoming neighborhoods, and shared values. Their youngest child graduated from Marvin Ridge High School in 2024, and like so many families in the area, the Ecks have embraced Marvin not just as a place to live, but as a place to belong.
Earning full tuition merit-based scholarships, Tom received his bachelor’s degree in political science with magna cum laude honors and Phi Beta Kappa distinction from the University of Southern California, where he also received his juris doctorate from USC’s Gould School of Law. His legal career spans 35 years across both public service and private enterprise. From his work as a senior trial attorney in the U.S. Department of the Treasury overseeing federal banks, to advising some of the country’s most respected financial institutions, Tom has built a reputation for integrity, good judgment, and results-driven leadership.
Beyond the boardrooms and courtrooms, Tom is deeply committed to serving his community. He serves on the board of advisors for the University of North Carolina School of Law’s Banking Institute, helping shape the next generation of financial policy experts. Also, during his time in Virginia, he was appointed by the governor to, and then chaired, the Virginia Fair Housing Board, defending housing rights for families and industry participants alike. Tom also is a volunteer with the FourBlock Foundation, an organization devoted to career readiness for service members transitioning into civilian employment.
Tom’s campaign is focused on thoughtful planning, responsible budgeting, and protecting Marvin’s identity as a close-knit community. He believes progress doesn’t mean losing what matters—it means preserving it while planning wisely for what’s ahead.
In his free time, Tom is an avid outdoorsman, beginning oil painter and mountain biker.
Tom Eck is ready to serve. He’s grounded in experience, guided by values, and committed to Marvin’s future.
Learn more about Tom’s professional background at www.linkedin.com/in/fteck4.
Fred Ilarraza
Returning Marvin to what brought us all here.
Fred Ilarraza is running for Marvin Village Council to protect the values that drew his family here four years ago: rural character, strong community, and the benefits of low taxes driven by responsible governance.
A native of Brooklyn, NY, Fred and his family came to Marvin seeking the very things big cities have lost—peace, space, and shared values. Since arriving in 2021, the Ilarrazas have become deeply rooted in the community, with children attending Marvin Ridge High School and Rea View Elementary.
Fred is a lifelong entrepreneur with decades of leadership experience. He founded and ran a successful title insurance company in New York, later expanding into franchise development to help others achieve business ownership. He was also a partner in a private equity firm focused on manufactured housing communities throughout the Southeast, and today operates a small family office based in Marvin.
Locally, Fred serves on the Weddington Chase HOA Board and has actively worked to protect Union County schools—opposing the placement of cell towers and advocating for awareness of rising antisemitism.
Fred’s campaign is focused on thoughtful growth, fiscal responsibility, and keeping Marvin true to its roots. He believes progress doesn’t have to mean losing what makes a place special—and that Marvin should stay Marvin.
Angel Martin
Angel Martin is running for Village of Marvin Council to protect what drew so many of us here in the first place: rural charm, friendly neighbors, excellent schools, and low taxes.
Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Angel moved to Charlotte, North Carolina at the age of four. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in Political Science, then earned a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Mississippi, graduating summa cum laude. Over the course of a 25-year media career, Angel worked both in front of the camera and behind the scenes in advertising—spanning radio, TV, and print—eventually launching her own advertising agency.
In 2011, she began breeding Golden Retrievers, and she also runs a home décor business called Madison on Main. Angel and her husband, Joel, moved to Marvin in July 2018 with their three sons and grandson. The open fields, grazing horses, and rural feel—just minutes from the conveniences of Charlotte—offered a welcome contrast to their previous life in SouthPark. And of course, Marvin's low taxes and excellent schools were a major draw.
Angel first ran for Village Council in 2023 on a platform opposing the GO Bonds. Since then, she has remained actively involved in local government, serving on the Marvin Planning Board and Board of Adjustments since November 2024. She also played a key role in developing the new Marvin community survey, which will be released in fall 2025.
In addition to her local work, Angel serves on the leadership team of the Don Brown for U.S. Senate campaign and is part of the Union County GOP leadership. She also volunteers with the Golden Retriever Rescue Club of Charlotte, helping re-home Goldens in need. In her free time she enjoys power walking, refinishing furniture and creating home decor pieces as well as spending time at the beach.
Angel is running because she believes in preserving the very reasons her family chose Marvin: low density, excellent schools, low taxes, and a strong sense of community. She supports a return to thoughtful, responsive leadership—government that listens, represents all residents, and prioritizes smart, sustainable decisions.