We asked each candidate to answer a few questions so that you can know a little more about their priorities. Click on each question to reach the candidate’s answer. See responses from other candidates: Jim Dantona.
Candidate Statement
I’m Michael Erin Woody, and I’m running for San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, District 2. As a California Licensed Professional Civil Engineer with over 25 years of experience and President of Struct One Engineering & Construction, Inc., I have the technical expertise to solve our community’s toughest problems.
With a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Fresno State and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, I bring to this office a unique background that can address many of our problems facing our coastal communities.
As a former Fresno City Council Member and appointee to the Fresno County Transportation Authority, I also know how local government works. And here in SLO County, I’ve served on multiple City of Morro Bay advisory committees, represented the Salinan Tribe before federal and state agencies, and routinely engaged our community through local radio.
Rank the issues in order of importance for our county:
- Economic recovery & head of household jobs
- Government regulation
- Infrastructure
- Diversity, equity and inclusion
- Public Safety
- Taxes
- Climate Action & Resilience
- Housing
- Public health
- Homelessness
- Regional collaboration
If elected, what will you do to address the issue you identified above as most significant?
Economic recovery and head-of-household jobs remain a critical focus for our county. While COVID may feel like a distant memory, its impact on local businesses and employment continues to shape our region.
Two key factors drive this challenge. First, businesses were forced to reinvent themselves for greater efficiency, a positive shift in many ways, but one that cost our tourism-based economy jobs that were once considered essential, as organizations learned to do more with less.
Second, we must broaden our economic strategy beyond tourism, agriculture, and technology. A targeted outreach effort to small and medium-sized businesses across the western United States could be a game-changer. Many business owners already love visiting our area, we should be making the case for why they should relocate here entirely, bringing investment, jobs, and long-term economic stability to our community.
Which theme in the Chamber's regional economic vision, Imagine SLO, do you think deserves the most focus in the next four years and why?
Love of Place. San Luis Obispo County is not just a place we live, it is a place that my family and heritage built, and that distinction matters deeply to me. From the shoreline of Montana de Oro to our coastal communities stretching north to the Monterey County line, District 2 is home to a rare and irreplaceable bohemian and artistic communities consisting of a group of artists, fishermen, farmers, and longtime families whose roots run generations deep.
People travel from around the world to experience what we have here. And yet, too often, those who arrive see only what could be changed rather than what should be cherished. Loving a place means protecting its soul, not just its scenery. It means honoring the cultures, traditions, and community rhythms that make this region unlike anywhere else on earth.
When elected, I will be a tireless advocate for preserving exactly that, the living, breathing character of the place we are proud to call home.
What are you most proud of having contributed to our community in the past ten years?
While my commitment to community stretches back well beyond the last decade, the work I am most proud of is my active service as a Tribal Council Member for the Salinan Tribe of Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties.
In this role, I have had the honor of representing our Tribal Indian Community as an Appointed Liaison to several significant institutions, including the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, the State of California Native American Heritage Commission, and the State of California Division of State Parks.
Perhaps most meaningfully, through over three years of dedicated research and advocacy, I helped lead our tribal group to become the first in our county’s history to be considered for Federal Acknowledgment by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a landmark achievement for indigenous communities throughout the Central Coast region.
What is the biggest opportunity for the County as a whole in the next four years?
One area where I believe we have a tremendous opportunity for growth is in actively recruiting small and medium-sized businesses to relocate to our region. San Luis Obispo County is already a place that people love, so much so that many choose to vacation here repeatedly or invest in second homes. That emotional connection to our community is one of our greatest untapped assets.
With the rise of remote work and the flexibility it affords business owners, there has never been a better moment to make a compelling case for relocation. If people already love living here part of the time, we should be doing far more to help them envision it as their full-time home, and their full-time place of business.
A thoughtful, proactive outreach strategy targeting business owners in this group could bring meaningful economic investment, new jobs, and long-term residents who are already deeply committed to the well-being of our community.
Do you think the state government is doing enough to support housing in our region? If not, what would you do to change it?
One of my deepest commitments, if elected to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors for District 2, is preserving the character and culture that make this region truly special. Too often, conversations about growth and potential come at the expense of the very things that define us, our small-town feel, our agricultural heritage, our coastal beauty, and the tight-knit communities that generations of families have called home.
Development and progress are not inherently wrong, but they must be pursued thoughtfully and with a genuine respect for what already exists here. In District 2 especially, I have seen firsthand how quickly the texture of a community can change when growth is prioritized over preservation.
I believe we can welcome new opportunity without sacrificing our identity. That means listening closely to long-time residents, protecting our local landscapes and traditions, and ensuring that the soul of this place remains intact for the generations that follow.
Do you think our business environment is healthy? If not, what would you do to change that?
San Luis Obispo County has a strong business community, and I am genuinely grateful for the work our local chambers do every day. That said, I do believe a few fresh ideas could make our business environment even stronger.
First, I would encourage chambers to reserve at least 25% of executive board seats for first-time small business owners. New voices bring new perspective, and a clearer window into the real challenges of starting a business today.
Second, I believe our business leaders would benefit from deeper engagement with the neighborhoods and communities where they operate. Economic development is about more than profit margins, it is about people.
Third, and most importantly, I would ask our chambers to truly listen when community members show up to planning and supervisorial meetings with concerns. Their voices deserve a seat at the table, not just a spot in the audience.