Greetings! I'm Brandon Olsen, and I'm running for Fletcher Town Council. My priority is making our town more accountable, accessible, and responsive to the needs of all residents.
I've lived in Fletcher for more than 21 years, and in that time I've grown to love this community and the people who make it special. My family and I have lived primarily in the Hoopers Creek area, and like many of you, we've built our lives here, raising kids, building friendships, and putting down roots.
My wife, Holly, and I began our life together here in Fletcher, where we've raised our three children: Natalie, Hunter, and Claire. Fletcher is the only home they've ever known, and ensuring it remains a safe, supportive, and thriving place for families like ours is at the heart of why I'm running.
My path to public service hasn't been a traditional one. I began my working life in manufacturing, spending nearly a decade in industrial printing and medical plastics. I started on the production floor and advanced into leadership roles, learning firsthand the importance of hard work, accountability, and finding practical solutions to difficult problems.
After my son was born, I made the decision to return to school as a working adult. I earned my transfer degree at Blue Ridge Community College then went on to earn my bachelor's degree in Economics at UNC Asheville.
That education led me into a career in utility-scale renewable energy, where I progressed from an associate focused on power purchase agreements to Origination Manager. I was responsible for regulatory strategy, power offtake, and financial modeling, and managed a multidisciplinary team of 13 professionals, including attorneys and other industry specialists. Today, I work as a Data Analyst helping administer FEMA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers disaster recovery programs across the country.
But my connection to Fletcher has never been limited to my career. I've been involved in our community for years, including through my 2021 campaign for Town Council, my service on the ABC Board, my previous work with New Fletcher Library Partners, and my time as Treasurer of Fletcher Youth Baseball & Softball.
Long before deciding to run again, I was showing up at Town Hall because I believed residents deserved to know what their local government was doing. From 2017 through 2021, I attended nearly every Town Council meeting. Because the town did not record or broadcast those meetings, I brought my own recording equipment, processed the footage, and published the meetings online so residents who couldn't attend could still see and hear what was happening.
Those experiences taught me that effective local government isn't just about making decisions. It's about listening to residents, making information accessible, and being willing to show up consistently, even when there isn't an election on the calendar.
All of these experiences have shaped how I approach public service. Working in manufacturing taught me the value of practical solutions and respect for the people who do the work. My education and professional career taught me how to analyze complicated problems, manage resources, work with people who bring very different perspectives, and make decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions. My years in Fletcher have taught me that good decisions start with listening to the people who will be affected by them.
That is the kind of leadership I want to bring to Fletcher. I want our local government to be accessible, transparent, and willing to plan for the future while addressing the needs of residents today. I believe every neighborhood deserves a voice in the decisions that shape our town, and that our infrastructure, finances, and growth should be managed with the long-term health of our community in mind.
More than anything, I want Fletcher to remain a place where families can put down roots and build a future. The choices we make today will determine the kind of town our children inherit tomorrow.
If elected, I will approach every decision with integrity, transparency, and a focus on what is best for Fletcher as a whole. Public office is a responsibility, not a platform, and I will never forget that I am there to serve the people who entrusted me with it.