Michael Betterly

The Election Hub Questionnaire

Please provide demographic information about yourself to help voters (age, education, current occupation, where you live).

I'm 47 years old and live in East Charlotte with my wife Keisha and our lovable dog Bear. I have a BA in Marketing and International Business from Penn State and an MBA in Finance from Bocconi University. I'm the CFO of Organic Mechanics, a regenerative organic potting soil company.

Why are you running for this role and why should voters pick you? Please share your previous experience in elected office that would be relevant to voters.

I’m running for this position to support our county’s 200+ farms and to help build resilience in our stormwater management practices. Local farms face ever degrading soil conditions, tougher markets, and more extreme weather patterns. We need them to thrive to help improve our food resilience. Building back our once thriving local farm community is key for Mecklenburg county’s future. Recent droughts and flood events demonstrate why we need to better prepare for continued issues. We have tools to help mitigate these extreme weather events, and I aim to increase our efforts to best serve our communities

My work experience will be key in this role. Since 2010, I’ve helped many small to mid sized farms build their businesses, from providing them with regenerative soil products like biochar to consulting on their finances and business strategies. I’ve also worked on storm water projects that require specific soil needs, so I feel I’m well-rounded for the task ahead. I’m a life-long environmentalist who’s looking forward to giving back.

Tell us 1-2 professional accomplishments you have achieved in your work experience (not limited to public service) that give voters a sense of your leadership style or skills.

I’m someone who likes to do the work and collaborate with others. At Organic Mechanics Soil, I’ve worn all of the hats, from working the production line hauling heavy bags of soil to creating our detailed financial plans. Understanding all of the functions of a business, while working with a diverse group of coworkers, is beneficial to its sustained growth.

Operating in a flood plain, our company survived multiple floods at our manufacturing facility over the years before making a move. The first flood almost destroyed our business, and it took a village for the post-flood cleanup. It required us to get our hands dirty, working long hours cleaning floors, walls, and equipment, and repairing our warehouse space, yard, and the surrounding area. I’m proud of the extra effort we all put in to save the company when odds were against us.

What endorsements from any notable NC organizations or people have you received?

Nancy Carter (Current Vice-Chair of Soil & Water) has endorsed me.

How long have you lived in the region/district where you are running for office?

My wife and I have lived in East Charlotte for almost two years, and she grew up here. We love our neighborhood! We lived in Durham for 5 years prior and moved here to be closer to family.

Tell us something unexpected about yourself that voters may be interested to know.

I love to bake! Starting around five years old, I got into baking with cookies and cakes, and I’m fascinated with the science of it. Sharing treats with family and friends is the best. I make a pretty mean apple crumb pie!

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an area of concern for many voters (e.g. government-run chatbots; AI-generated videos, text and images; data centers; license-plate readers; AI to hire and evaluate employees or teach students). How should elected officials in your role or others regulate AI, if you believe they should? How should elected officials in your role use AI?

Soil & Water doesn’t have the ability to regulate AI, but I do think we need to regulate it properly and quickly. I don’t know that there are any AI tools being used by Soil & Water yet, but using AI to better understand data for decision making in stormwater management and farm assistance could be beneficial. Of course, data and privacy must always be properly managed. Data centers often utilize a lot of water, and can be heavy polluters. While Soil & Water doesn’t have jurisdiction over them, I am concerned that we’re moving too fast with their implementation. I’m for extending the current moratorium until we can better understand the exact toll these have on our environment and our communities.