Dunlap dives in as the face of America’s counties

Without a 10-gallon hat, George Dunlap stuck out like a sore thumb at the PILT Fly-In. 

But the details on his badge were more telling — he was a commissioner from Mecklenburg County, N.C. It’s no public lands hotspot, but as NACo’s first vice president, Dunlap was looking ahead to who he would be representing as NACo’s president, the same way he’d be representing his own urban counties and rural farming counties. And for him, there was no better way to learn than surrounding himself in issues like Payments in Lieu of Taxes and Secure Rural Schools. 

“Counties are so vastly different,” he said. “In North Carolina, counties are not responsible for roads, and then you go to another county where roads are a large part of their budget. I had no clue some of these things were important, but they’re important to me now, because I made a commitment to represent all of NACo.”

“If I can get in there and see it happen, put my hands on it, I can figure it out; I can understand why they fight so hard for the things that they fight for. I can try to understand what it’s like to not have the resources to match a grant or to try the programs that other counties take for granted.”

Dunlap’s county government service —18 years and counting — follows 13 years on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board, along with 27 years as a Charlotte police officer after he served as a sergeant in the Marines. He took office as NACo president in July. 

North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Executive Director Kevin Leonard encouraged Dunlap to run for second vice president in 2024 after working with him for several years on the state association’s Board of Directors. His rigor and perspective forced Leonard to be on the top of his game when presenting to Dunlap, and he saw that as a potential asset for NACo leadership.

“He’s always the person I can count on, on the Board of Directors, to ask questions that were thought-provoking and relevant,” Leonard said. “He would ask questions that others may not think about because he thinks about things in a different way, which is good. You want to have everything thoroughly vetted, especially as you’re trying to make policy or talk about policy, and he helps us approach issues from different angles.”

Now, Leonard said, Dunlap can bring his perspective to bear as NACo moves forward at a time when counties are facing shifting costs and revenues and dramatic changes to the intergovernmental relationship.

Sonoma County, Calif. Supervisor James Gore got to know Dunlap when the pair participated in the 2021 County Leadership Institute, and Dunlap gave a nominating speech for Gore during the 2022 election. What they learned about each other during the County Leadership Institute convinced Gore that Dunlap, too, had what it took.

“He doesn’t just know — he believes deeply that his job is to represent everyone,” Gore said. “He’s never buckled in his resolve when it was time to walk the path in the right way, rather than just do what people wanted.”

What stood out to Gore was that despite having served on the school board, Dunlap’s vote wasn’t a foregone conclusion when it came time for the county commission to fund the schools, which is part of North Carolinian county governance. 

“If they didn’t give him substantial reasons, not just because of political pressure, he wasn’t buckling.” It’s hard to say no to school boards and not just give them everything.

Raised by his grandmother in Pineville, N.C., after serving four years in the Marine Corps, Dunlap joined the Charlotte Police Department and spent much of his career as a school resource officer, which put him in contact with students who often faced adverse circumstances at home. 

“I had a bad experience with police officers — I hated cops,” Dunlap said. “But I asked myself, ‘Who could do it better?’” he said of his law enforcement career. “It gave me the opportunity to engage with a bunch of young people, some who had a much tougher life than I did.” 

That, and the generosity shown by a UNC-Charlotte faculty member who offered him a chance to prove himself in college, has motivated him to create his presidential spotlight, Building Better Futures, which asks counties to commit to improving the lives of young people. 

“How many times do you go home and watch the news where some 17-year-old has killed another 17-year-old? Or where some young girl has been kidnapped off the street?” he said. “They shouldn’t have to deal with these issues.” 

“Maybe it’s a program to have them envision having a career in something that they never even considered. Maybe it’s a program that will teach them fitness and get them off the couch,” that will make a difference for youth, he noted.

 Over the next year, Dunlap hopes his presidency offers the same as what he strives to offer children — memorable experiences that will help him understand the challenges counties face so he can best represent them.

“It’s dizzying stuff to take ownership of other counties’ issues, talking to the staff for the speaker of the House or the Senate minority leader, but the more I put myself in their shoes, the better I can speak for county leaders,” he said.