Rich George

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Rich George

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors

Successor: Mitchell Mullen

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Education

Bachelor's

Duke University, 1980

Graduate

Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University, 1982

Personal

Birthplace

Carlisle, Pa.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Chief Brand Strategy Officer

Contact

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Rich George was a member of the Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors in North Carolina. He assumed office on December 7, 2020. He left office on December 2, 2024.

George ran for election to the Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors in North Carolina. He won in the general election on November 3, 2020.

George completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

George was born on December 25, 1967, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Duke University with a bachelor's degree in 1980. He went on to obtain his master's degree from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University in 1982. George's professional experience includes working as chief brand strategy officer for Brandsymbol. He also has worked as a president and chief executive officer of an event marketing agency, chief marketing officer, special events manager as well as other positions. George has been affiliated with Al Gore's Climate Reality Leadership Corps, multiple Mecklenburg-area nonprofits working to protect natural resources, the Sierra Club: National Text Team, North Carolina Climate Change Subcommittee, the Audubon Society, North Carolina Conservation Network, North Carolina League of Conservation Voters, and CharMeck Animal Shelter.

Elections

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (2020)

General election

General election for Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors

Rich George defeated David Michael Rice, Duncan St. Clair III, and Gregory Denlea in the general election for Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rich George (Nonpartisan)	27.0	111,500
	Submit photo	David Michael Rice (Nonpartisan)	26.1	108,039
		Duncan St. Clair III (Nonpartisan)	24.6	101,790
		Gregory Denlea (Nonpartisan)	20.8	85,863
		Other/Write-in votes	1.5	6,077

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 413,269
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Rich George completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by George'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.

First, I am a passionate environmentalist fighting to protect the planet and its inhabitants from our life-threatening climate crisis. As a certified member of VP Al Gore's Climate Leadership Corps, I am equipped with global expertise built on the world's leading and latest scientific research. As a 10-year resident of Mecklenburg County, I am energized to act and to impact our local environment. As a tribute to my late fiancée, I am inspired to defend life-sustaining biodiversity, especially those animals and plants that cannot protect themselves.

Second, I am the product of my family's small farms in central PA. As someone who relied on the land to survive, I deeply appreciate fertile soil, fresh air, and clean water. As someone who grew up hunting animals, and growing fruit and vegetables, to eat, I clearly understand the importance of fresh, healthy food. As someone who saw countless farms converted to commercial warehouses and residential development, I strongly support local agriculture struggling against global food conglomerates.

Third, I am a powerful, yet practical, change agent. As Brand strategist for Fortune 100 companies, I lead significant change that positively impacts change-resistant organizations. As owner of three small businesses, I have served clients ranging from small NC mobile-home parks to multinational companies. As an effective team-builder, I optimize budgets to maximize impact.

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?

• EQUITABLE access to natural resources for everyone...No matter who you are, who you love, or who you worship...No matter where you live in Mecklenburg, or where in the world you are from...No matter what you earn, what you owe, or what color you are.
• OPTIMAL usage of natural resources for: 1) agriculture, from large rural farms to small urban gardens; 2) industry, from light commercial to heavy manufacturing; 3) housing, from affordable multifamily developments to single-family homes; and 4) recreation, from greenways to waterways.
• SUSTAINABLE resource management NOW built on: 1) responsible land development and usage to combat soil erosion and contamination; 2) waterways protection to ensure free-flowing, fresh water free of unhealthy pollutants; and 3) expanded, carbon-capturing tree canopy to beautifully ensure healthy air quality.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Combatting our rapidly worsening climate crisis - the greatest and growing threat to human survival - drives me to serve as Mecklenburg Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor. My personal passion to protect the environment is manifested in three strategic priorities.

First, food safety and security will be my MS&WCD priority, especially in areas without access to fresh produce (i.e., food deserts). Empowering urban small farms and gardens to grow, prepare and enjoy their own food - like my family did on their small PA farms - will improve residents' physical and economic health by connecting them to fresh, healthy food.

Second, water-quality efforts will focus on our most dangerous contaminants: 1) single-use plastics; 2) nurdles, omnipresent pellets that form the basis for nearly all petrochemical plastic products; and 3) PFA forever chemicals, found in blood and organs of 99% of US residents.

Third, farmland preservation must be a higher priority in the face of rapid development. Beyond protecting existing farmland (5,421 acres, 3% of Mecklenburg's total acreage), available urban land in disadvantaged communities should be reclaimed and utilized for agricultural use (e.g., City and County properties, CMS campuses, developer and corporate parcels).

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

Professionally, I admire Nikola Tesla for his brilliance and perseverance, in the face of overwhelming professional and personal struggles. While his designs and inventions were not broadly recognized nor rewarded during his lifetime, Tesla's electrical and radio breakthroughs now revolutionize contemporary society, establishing and expanding his legacy in the process.

Politically, Tom Steyer serves as a role model dedicated to public service following private-sector success. Steyer's focus on combatting our global climate crisis - NextGen America's environmental advocacy and young-voter registration; TomKat Ranch to research sustainable agriculture; Beneficial State Bank for underserved communities - mirrors my own priorities.

Personally, I am inspired by my late fiancée Brooke Atkins' selfless love of life. Her passionate heart to care for people and for animals initially drove me to advocate for animal rights, and has expanded into my fight AGAINST our climate crisis...and FOR environmental, social and racial justice. Whatever success comes from my service is a tribute to Brooke's legacy.

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

In order of priority, the most critical principles of any public servant - but especially of a Mecklenburg Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor - are unwavering commitment to:

1. SERVICE OVER SELF-INTEREST: Public service is correctly defined as actually serving the public, but currently defined as being served by the public...starting in The White House. I am a first-time candidate drawn to serve as MS&WCD Supervisor because I can make a positive, sustainable impact on our environment...my ONLY personal reward.
2. PEOPLE OVER PROFITS: By definition, public servants must place the welfare of the public above the profits of the few. By the US Supreme Courts' 2010 Citizens United ruling, unlimited spending by the privileged few is now allowed to overwhelm public welfare. "One person, one vote" is rapidly and regrettably being replaced by "one dollar, one vote."

3. FACTS OVER FICTION: Our worsening global climate crisis demands that all public policy decisions must consider critical environmental impacts. First and foremost, leadership must protect our planet with fact-driven decision-making based on science not speculation, since survival of the human race is literally at stake.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope to leave a legacy honoring my late fiancée Brooke Atkins. Ideally, we will be remembered for protecting our planet, and all its inhabitants, from the catastrophic effects of climate change. This effort will especially defend the defenseless and disadvantaged, both human and non-human. Our shared wish is outrageously ambitious...and just as outrageously worthy.

Looking ahead, successful stewardship of our planet is the only way forward to a future that is hopeful not hateful, intelligent not ignorant, and sustainable not self-serving. This will demand support for, and reliance on, scientific: 1) professionals, not politicians; 2) research, not rhetoric; 3) data, not distortion; 4) evidence, not emotion; and 5) methodology, not mania.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Professionally, I would be Martin, GEICO's quirky gecko mascot. He is green, so he cares about the environment. He is a colorful lizard (actually a combination of several gecko species), an eye-catching symbol of biodiversity. He is a skilled spokesperson, broadly building corporate awareness in amusing and memorable advertising.

Politically, I would be Underdog, the iconic cartoon character. He defends the defenseless, repeatedly rescuing Sweet Polly Purebred. He is a global citizen, emigrating from Japan to US. He personifies personal growth, transforming from humble shoeshine boy to superhero. He brings criminals to justice, with "speed of lightning, roar of thunder, fighting all who rob or plunder!

Personally, I would be Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. He is politically active (albeit somewhat politically incorrect), attending US presidential conventions and debates since 2004. He is an accomplished artist, with a Grammy nomination and countless Saturday Night Light appearances. He is bitingly sarcastic, annoying the powerful and amusing the public.

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

George

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

With limited regulatory and enforcement power, Mecklenburg Soil & Water Conservation District (MS&WCD) must use its voluntary incentives and public platform to educate, excite and empower residents about their relationship with food, since World Health Organization has identified food safety and security as an urgent threat to the global population. Our current food system has separated people from their food, with disastrous consequences.

Specifically, MS&WCD can help make healthy, affordable food available to Mecklenburg residents by reconnecting underserved communities with fresh food they grow themselves. Ideally, this process will provide educational and financial support to help residents understand:
1. Where does my food originate? County residents know their food mostly comes from grocery stores, but many have little idea how it got there (e.g., bacon from hogs, avocados from trees, blueberries from bushes). Commercial food producers have increasingly exploited this knowledge gap for profit, often at the expense of consumers' health.
2. Why is my food important? Poor diets lead to poor health, especially when County residents may not be aware that processed foods are loaded with fats and sugars. These overlooked additives are leading contributors to life-threatening obesity, while deadly zoonotic viruses (including COVID-19) grow from an overstressed global food supply chain.
3. How can I grow my own food? County residents, especially in food deserts, must be equipped with the necessary tools to grow fresh, healthy produce: micro-farming training and education, equipment and supplies, and access to neighborhood land. Naturally, this food production depends on MS&WCD's existing soil health and water quality efforts.

To be clear, MS&WCD can only reconnect Mecklenburg's residents with healthy food by coordinating like-minded Mecklenburg (especially County and City agencies), state (especially NC Agriculture Department), and federal stakeholders.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

It is beneficial for officeholders to have experience WITH government or politics, but experience IN government or politics is not necessary. In fact, a bureaucrat or politician would likely be less effective since they are unlikely to bring fresh ideas and approaches needed to elevate Mecklenburg Soil & Water Conservation District (MS&WCD) effectiveness and efficiency.

Instead, private-sector experience that is transferrable to public service equips an officeholder for success. My Brand strategy expertise - especially marketing and communication - is ideally suited to optimize MS&WCD strategic planning, partnerships and priorities needed to accelerate and amplify the good work of current MS&WCD Supervisors.

This valuable professional expertise, and extensive experience WITH government and politics experience resulting from my animal-rights and climate-crisis activism, empowers me to make a meaningful, positive impact on Mecklenburg natural resources. As your next MS&WCD Supervisor, I will do just that!

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

My professional expertise as a Brand strategist serving Fortune 100 companies is ideally suited to complement Mecklenburg Soil & Water Conservation District's (MS&WCD) successful work to-date. Specifically, these skills will allow me to define and deliver:

1. STRATEGIC PLANNING that drives MS&WCD activity by: a) defining a clear roadmap to success; b) developing a comprehensive database that combines existing information into a single, searchable resource to facilitate fact-based decisionmaking; and c) detailing stakeholder input needed to protect and promote Mecklenburg resources.
2. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS that maximize MS&WCD visibility, funding and impact by: a) coordinating environmental plans with City of Charlotte to supplement SEAP carbon reduction; b) collaborating with stakeholder teams to solicit relevant expertise and experience; and c) communicating clearly, consistently and compellingly, leading to common understanding and objectives.

3. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES that deliver MS&WCD goals, including: a) soil health needed to reconnect County residents with fresh, healthy food, especially in disadvantaged communities; b) water quality focused on single-use plastic and microplastic contamination, in conjunction with County and City agencies; and c) green infrastructure to stimulate job training & creation.

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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