Board of Supervisors

The Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District (MSWCD) is a governmental subdivision of the state of North Carolina, and a public body, corporate and politic, organized according to the Soil and Water Conservation District Law, operating within the powers set forth in the Law.

Each soil and water conservation district is administered by a five person board of supervisors. Three of these supervisors are elected at the same time as the regular election of county officers. This election is nonpartisan and is conducted by the respective county board of elections. Two supervisors are appointed by the North Carolina Soil and Water Conservation Commission upon the recommendation of the local district board of supervisors. All five supervisors serve four year terms of office.

Barbara Bleiweis is the Chair for the Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District. She has served on the Board since 2017 and is in her second term as an elected Supervisor. Ms. Bleiweis focuses her efforts on building sustainable programs that help residents understand the relevance of water quality and soil and water conservation to their every day lives.

She also works closely with the agricultural community to support economic and environmental sustainability of their farms. Ms. Bleiweis serves on the North Carolina Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation. She is also on the executive board for the North Carolina Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Nancy Carter was appointed to the Board in January, 2012, elected in 2014 and has served as MSWCD's Vice Chair and Chair, as Area 8's (12 county area) Vice Chair and Chair and so sat on the NC Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts' Executive Committee in that capacity and as Secretary, 2012-2021.

She is serving as the Alternate NC Delegate to the National Association of Conservation Districts Board and received the NC ASWCD Distinguished Service Award at the 2023 NC Annual Meeting.

She serves as the Association's state Legislative Committee's Vice Chair, advocating in Raleigh and DC for good conservation practices and funding for projects. She has participated in SWCD educational outreach (contests and Envirothons), the Mecklenburg Storm Water Mitigation Task Force and the Mountain Island Environmental Education Center Task Force.

She served on the Charlotte City Council, 1999-2011, helping to found its Environment Committee, chaired the Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee for the NC League of Municipalities and was the National League of the Cities' Board representative to their EENR after 9 years on that Committee and the Charlotte Sustainable Energy Action Plan Stakeholders group.

Morgan Rinehart has eight years of work and volunteer experience in the environmental field with degrees in Earth Science (BSc) from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Soils & Sustainability (MSc) from the University of Edinburgh.

He has done research on beaver dam complexes in the North Carolina Piedmont, wetland delineation across Wyoming for the EPA's National Wetland Assessment, and has been a volunteer with the University of Edinburgh's SCI-Fun Traveling Science and Technology Roadshow. These experiences inform his long-held belief that cities of all sizes can exist harmoniously with the environment.

As Charlotte continues to grow, the need for evidence-based policies to maintain the city's quality of life for all residents is a priority. The Charlotte area has been his home since 2001.

Rich George is triply equipped to effectively and efficiently build upon Mecklenburg Soil & Water Conservation District's previous success.

First, Rich is a certified member of Vice President Al Gore's Climate Reality Project Leadership Corps, empowered to combat our climate crisis globally, and to preserve County resources locally...especially protecting our vital water supply.

Second, Rich comes from a family of small farmers (in acreage, not stature), energized to grow small-scale urban agriculture that reconnects Mecklenburg residents with fresh, healthy food through micro-farms, community gardens, and private backyards.

Third, Rich serves as a Brand strategist for Fortune 100 companies, equipped to change public and private organizations, by building and maintaining green infrastructure that improves our economic and physical health, especially in disadvantaged communities.

Daniel Austin was appointed to the MSWCD supervisory board July 19, 2023. Daniel is a native of Mecklenburg County and currently lives in Huntersville on a 24-acre farm. Austin-Kidd Farm on Jim Kidd Rd is a portion of his family’s former century farm. Since 2015, Daniel has co-managed the operation with his partner Jova Jamison with the goal of providing wholesome, locally grown food to area farmer’s markets.

Daniel developed his interest in conservation, sustainability and land preservation in part, while working on the family dairy farm with his grandfather. He has also had a forty-year career in the construction industry, specifically as an insulation and energy efficiency contractor. Daniel currently works with the NC Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) which provides home upgrades to save energy, reduce utility bills and make homes safer for our most vulnerable citizens. The program’s focus is on lower income families with children, the elderly and the disabled.

Daniel was past president of Insulation Contractors Association of America and served on its board of directors for many years. He was the former president and owner of Austin Company, aka Austin Insulating Company. Daniel currently serves on the Board of Directors of Mecklenburg County Farm Bureau.

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