Mark Boone (North Carolina)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Mark Boone

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

North Carolina State University, 1974

Graduate

North Carolina State University, 1978

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Years of service

1971 - 1977

Personal

Birthplace

Greensboro, N.C.

Religion

Baptist Christian

Profession

Manufacturing

Contact

Campaign website

Mark Boone ran for election to the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District in North Carolina. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Boone completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Mark Boone was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. Boone's career experience includes working in manufacturing. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1971 to 1977. Boone earned a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University in 1974, a graduate degree from North Carolina State University in 1978, and a military citation from Defense Systems Management College in 1994. Boone has been affiliated with Gardeners of Wake County, POIEMA Arts Theater, and FCCI.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Wake County, North Carolina (2024)

General election

General election for Wake Soil and Water Conservation District

Reese Wamsley defeated Mark Boone and Brian Lewis in the general election for Wake Soil and Water Conservation District on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Reese Wamsley (Nonpartisan)	40.6	212,287
		Mark Boone (Nonpartisan)	39.7	207,768
		Brian Lewis (Nonpartisan)	18.8	98,344
		Other/Write-in votes	1.0	5,053

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 523,452
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Boone in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mark Boone completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Boone's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an experienced professional who grew up in Raleigh, NC, attended Sanderson High School and completed BS and MS degrees at NC State. I have a lifetime of community service beginning with driving a school bus as a high school student and serving as a leader in Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity at NC State. I obtained a lifetime hunting and fishing license while in high school and care greatly about improving the habitat for wild animals. I’ve served as the President of the largest and oldest Garden Club in Wake County and actively participate in raising funds for agricultural scholarships for students at NC State. I have executive experience in the defense Industry, have served as a Senior Scientist at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory and served as the marketing and sales director of a company focused on water and air filtration. I oversaw the production of a greenhouse filtration system for an experiment on the International Space Station.

I understand water quality issues and still read Water Quality Magazine each month. Many of the projects I have consulted on since 1998 as CEO of Markus Group have centered on improving water quality.

My father grew up on a farm in Randolph County and I learned about farming while holding the handles of a plow walking behind a mule. My mother grew up in Thompson Georgia picking seeds out of Tom Watson watermelons. I have a tractor now and use it for making humus out of wood chips.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• The Wake County Soil and Water Conservation board serves all of residents of Wake County. I commit to work diligently to fairly balance the needs of all constituents – human, bird, reptile mammal and insect. The Supervisor position is non-partisan by design. Politics has little role in making sure our water is clean and the quality of life is as good as we can make it. I favor keeping a balance of rural and urban in our county and commit to helping those who wish to farm stay in business. This position allows those who wish to live in higher density housing to continue to enjoy the benefits of the Farmer’s Market, berry farms and pumpkin patches.
• I am a strong believer that individuals can make a difference in the local environment. I also fully appreciate the need to collectively work together to preserve the environment including farmland. I am an active gardener who believes improving the habitat for the wild creatures living in the County is important. Bluebirds fledge their young in my bird houses and early in the morning the song of more than 10 different birds can be identified using the Merlin app on my phone. Although I’ve had to reinforce the chicken house to keep the foxes out, I enjoy watching the kits who appear each spring wrestle with each other.
• How we treat the environment is important. No one, right, left or middle wants to live in their own excrement. I strongly believe humans are a key constituent in the county and each person deserves to earn an income. I also believe other creatures living in the county require representation. I commit to exercising as much wisdom as I have been given to work for the good of all.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Finding solutions for dealing with the tragedy of the commons is my passion. Every creature’s life depends upon access to clean air, water, land, forests and oceans. Wake County is one of the top ten counties in the United States losing farmland to urban growth at the fastest rate. People are attracted to Wake County because of the quality of life here. Figuring out how we define our county’s commons and how we can maintain them for future generations is one of the greatest challenges we face in public policy. Natural cycles provide us with insights we can follow – the water cycle, nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle, etc. How to apply these natural cycles created over eons to human endeavors takes wisdom and keen observation.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I looked up to Daniel Kahneman. I would like to be able to think as deeply and originally as he thought.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I recommend the novel by James McBride titled. "Heaven and Earth Grocery Store". It illustrates my philosophy that everyone should be treated fairly and that justice will prevail for those who act in an unseemly manner.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Elected officials serve all the people, not only the subset of people who cast their vote to elect them. I believe collective wisdom is better than what any one individual may have. Compromise is therefore a key principal of serving in an elected position.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a good listener. I am willing to change my mind if found to be wrong.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

A person serving in the role of Soil and Water Conservation should first know about soil and water conservation to provide guidance. They should also diligently seek to learn as much about the subject as possible. A track record of balancing competing needs is also helpful.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I wish to construct Ebenezer Chapel. www.Ebzchapel.com

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I vividly remember the first US launches of astronauts into space. My mother took our B&W portable TV to my elementary school so we could watch it as a class. Walter Cronkite gave the moment-by-moment reports.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was mowing lawns in my neighborhood. I began mowing lawns as soon as I could push our mower over our lawn. My guess is this was around the age of 10. I continued to mow lawns and deliver newspapers until I started high school and started driving a school bus for the City of Raleigh.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"Thinking Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman. I found the material in this book to be totally original. So many books simply rehash what others have previously said. The team of Kahneman and Tversky was amazing

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

You Will Never Walk Alone

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Government should serve the needs of the people, not the other way around. As such, there should be complete transparency financially and from a decision-making perspective.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Wake Soil and Water Conservation District

Website