Elected by the residents of District 3, George Dunlap currently serves as the Chairman of the Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners and has served in this capacity for six consecutive terms since joining the Board in 2008. Mr. Dunlap is the first district elected representative to serve as Chairman of the Board. In his role, Mr. Dunlap brings with him valuable expertise that have been influenced by his time in the community, the armed services, law enforcement, school board, along with various national and local leadership positions.
Prior to being elected on the Board of County Commissioners, Mr. Dunlap served 14 years as the District 3 representative for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board. As a School Board member, he served as chairman of the Safety Committee, a member of the Policy Committee, and a member of the Finance Committee. Mr. Dunlap also served on the Capital and Budgeting Committee as a member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Education Foundation and was the chairman of the Audit Committee.
A lifelong resident of Mecklenburg County, Mr. Dunlap was born and raised in Pineville, North Carolina. Mr. Dunlap’s commitment to public service began in high school where he served as a member of the Student Council, The Interact Club, and President of the Bus Drivers Club. In 1974, upon graduating from South Mecklenburg High School, Mr. Dunlap joined the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and was promoted to the ranks of Lance Corporal, Private First Class (PFC), and later to the rank of Sergeant on the basis of merit. Following his discharge in 1976, Mr. Dunlap enlisted in the NC Air National Guard and the Marine Reserves for an extra 11 years.
In 1978, following his time in the military, Mr. Dunlap began his career with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department where he worked as a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) Officer and volunteered for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Athletic League (PAL) as the Director and Interim Executive Director for the PAL-Summer Enrichment Program which was designed to support underprivileged children in Mecklenburg County. Mr. Dunlap retired from the Police Department in 2005 after 27 years of dedication to his role. Mr. Dunlap also worked as a counselor for the National Council of Community and Justice (formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews) where his work was centered on racial reconciliation.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Dunlap has held several leaderships positions. Mr. Dunlap is currently the Chairman of the Justice and Public Safety Committee of the National Association of County Officials (NACO) where he also serves as a member of the Large Urban County Caucus. In addition, Mr. Dunlap serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) and chairs the Health and Human Services Committee. Mr. Dunlap is also a current member of the North Carolina Sheriffs Education and Training Standards Commission, the Arts and Science Council, Center City Partners Board of Directors, and the University City Partners Board of Directors.
Mr. Dunlap is a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina where he received his master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2003 and a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from UNC Charlotte in 1991. Prior to attending UNC-Charlotte, Mr. Dunlap received an associate degree in law enforcement and his associate degree in Correctional Science from Central Piedmont Community College.
Furthermore, Mr. Dunlap is a graduate of the County Leadership Institute (CLI), the National Association of Counties (NACO) Professional Development Academy, the North Carolina Association of County Commission (NCACC) Advanced Leadership Academy, the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership (IOPL) and a Fellow on the Broad Institute of Governance.
In addition to the outlined leadership roles, Mr. Dunlap was also appointed by the Governor to serve as a Commissioner on the NC Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission. Mr. Dunlap also served as the Commissions Representative on the Council of Government. As the Commissions Representative, he served as Chairman of the Centralina Economic Development Commission for three years. Furthermore, Mr. Dunlap served as a campaign manager for several political campaigns and served as the “Get out the Vote” Chairperson for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Black Political Caucus. Mr. Dunlap has served on the Cardinal Innovations Board of Directors, the Smart Start Board of Directors, and was a member of the Communities in Schools Board of Directors. Additionally, Mr. Dunlap also served on the WTVI Public Television Board and was a liaison to the Volunteer Fire Commission.
Mr. Dunlap values his past, present, and future roles in public service and has strategically sought out opportunities that positively impact the lives and education of children as well as public safety. Guided by his convictions and values, Mr. Dunlap has worked tirelessly to ensure that he is in a position to uphold strong values and intention when it comes to decision making. Mr. Dunlap’s “heart work” and dedication has produced immeasurable results. Mr. Dunlap is a recipient of numerous awards including a Telly Award and the Central Piedmont Community College’s Richard H. Hagemeyer Award (which is the highest honor given to graduates of Central Piedmont Community College).
Devoted to his faith, Mr. Dunlap attends Saint Paul Baptist Church, where he has served on the board of directors for 19 years, holding the position of chairman for 7 of those years. Mr. Dunlap is Deacon Emeritus as well as a member of the hymn choir and visitor’s ministry.