Dexter G. Townsend currently serves as a member of the Albemarle City Council in District 1.

Dexter currently works as a production supervisor at Preformed Line Products. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the Stanly County Arts Council, the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation, and the Allocations Committee for Stanly County United Way among others.

Dexter was born in The Bronx, New York. He was raised in Albemarle and attended Albemarle Senior High School. He holds an associate's degree in business administration and criminal justice from Stanly Community College. He is married to his wife, Tina, with whom they have 1 daughter. He is a member of Union Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church, where he served on the Board of Trustees.