Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

George Lucier was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2006 and during his first term he has served as Chair for two years and Vice Chair for two years. He has a Doctorate Degree in Agriculture and is a widely recognized scientist and public health leader. He brings a solution-oriented approach, strong leadership and motivational skills to Chatham county Government.

Lucier has had broad and distinguished service at the local, state and national levels. He is former Chair of the Chatham County Planning Board, a current member of the Board of Trustees for Central Carolina Community College and he serves on the county Board of Health. Lucier chaired the Science Advisory Board for the NC Department of the Environment and Natural Resources for 15 years and he has been a member of numerous state and federal advisory boards during his career.

Lucier has served on the Woods Charter School Board of Directors where he was also the Varsity Basketball Coach. Lucier set several school scoring and rebounding records at his high school and college. He served multiple terms as President of the Redbud Homeowners Association and he is past President of the Rocky River Heritage Foundation.

Lucier is retired from the National Institutes of Health where he served as Associate Director of the National Toxicology Program. This program is considered the world's largest toxicology research and testing program. Lucier has published approximately 250 scientific articles in the peer-reviewed scientific literature and was Editor of Environmental Health Perspectives for 28 years. Lucier served as a technical advisor in the Waco investigation and he has provided scientific expertise to the U.S. Congress on several occasions.

George has lived in Chatham County for 37 years and he his wife Jane, live in the Bynum precinct with their two school-aged children.

During my first term, I focused on five essential areas of success for Chatham County: economic development, education, fiscal responsibility, land use/ regional planning and open government. I am seeking reelection so that we can keep Chatham County moving forward in the right direction.

Promote Economic Development. We developed a strategic plan and innovative incentive policy for economic development in close collaboration with Pittsboro, Siler City and Goldston. We are poised to take advantage of opportunities in agriculture, medical/pharmaceutical, green energy, arts, ecotourism, wood processing and food processing. We have expanded job training opportunities through our Community College and a new Job Link center in Chatham County.

Support of Schools. Education is our top priority and our efforts were recognized by the North Carolina School Board association which declared us Commissioners of the Year (out of 100 counties) for developing a strong working relationship with the Board of Education and for creative funding of education during a financial crises. We have not laid off teachers the last two years.

Fiscal Responsibility. Our sound fiscal policies were lauded by Moody's and S&P this year when they elevated our bond rating to the highest for counties our size in North Carolina. Our tax rate is average although we are 5th highest in support of public schools. Chatham County has 20% fewer county employees per capita than the North Carolina average.

Land Use Planning. We have made major changes to our land use and watershed protection ordinances to ensure that growth benefits Chatham County and our natural resources including Jordan Lake are protected. In contrast, our Republican opposition wants to return control of Chatham County to big outside developers.

Open Government. I have broadened citizen input in decision making, a strict code of conduct and I always explain my votes on key issues.