About George

George Dunlap is the District 3 Representative on the Mecklenburg County Commission. George was recently elected to the commission after having served 13 years as the District 3 representative on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board. As a School Board Member, he served as chairman of the Safety Committee, a member of the Policy Committee, a member of the Finance, Capital and Budgeting Committee and as a member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Education Foundation and was the chairman of the Audit committee. George is a former DARE Officer with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, where he had been employed for the last 27 years prior to his retirement in June 2005. More than 17 of those years have been spent working with children.

As a Commissioner, George serves as chair the County’s Efficient and Effective Government Committee; serves as a member of the Economic Development Committee, and the Criminal Justice Safety Committee. Additionally, George serves as a member of the Centralina Government Economic Development Commission and as the liaison for the Mecklenburg County Fire Commission.

A few of George’s accomplishments on the County Commission include: (1) his opposition to tax re-evaluation, which led to a unanimous vote to delay property re-evaluation in this community until 2011; (2) his research and study of the water rates, which lead to the adoption of a much fairer County water rate for the residents of our community; and (3) his efforts to bring Child Support Enforcement under the county’s authority, after the state decided it would no longer have this division under its authority. This agency collected more than $47 million last year on behalf of the children of Mecklenburg County and had a 99% collection rate. And, as one might reasonably expect, George continues to provide strong support for our school system to ensure a high- quality public education for all students.

George has served as a volunteer with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Athletic League (PAL) and for 10 years was director of the PAL Summer Enrichment Program for underprivileged children.  He attends Saint Paul Baptist Church, a 4600 member congregation, where he served as a member of the Board of Deacons and he is currently the vice chair of the Board of Directors.   George has served and continues to serve on a number of  local boards and commissions.

George is a life long resident of Mecklenburg County, born and reared in Pineville.  He attended Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and is a 1974 graduate of South Mecklenburg High School.  After finishing high school, he entered the United States Marine Corps (USMC), where he received meritorious promotions to the rank of PFC and Lance Corporal. He obtained the rank of Sergeant by the end of his enlistment in 1976.  George returned to Charlotte and served as a counselor for the National conference of Christians and Jews, now the National Council of Community and Justice.  In 1978, he was employed by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

George received his Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2003.  He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1991.  In 1983, George received an Associate Degree in Correctional Science from Central Piedmont Community College and in 1979; he received an Associate Degree in Law Enforcement.  (He was a spring of 1992 Fellow in the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership and  a Fellow of the Broad Institute of Governance.)

George has long been interested in public service and politics.  When attending South Mecklenburg High School, he was elected to student council and served as president of the Bus Divers club.  He has been involved in local politics ever since he registered to vote.  In 1994, he made an unsuccessful run for Sheriff of Mecklenburg County.  In 1995, he was elected as the first district representative on the School Board in District 3.  George was re-elected in 1997, 2001 and again in 2005.  In 2008, George was appointed to fill the unexpired term of the late Valarie Woodard on the County Commission and won a two – year term because Valerie had no opposition in her up coming election.  In addition to being an office holder, George has successfully managed political campaigns of other elected officials.