Rep. Dean Arp ’99

Distinguished Alumni Award

Dean Arp, a professional engineer and structural engineer licensed in forty different states, is founder and president of Arp Engineering in Monroe, North Carolina and proudly hires many UNC Charlotte graduates.

Dean has represented Union County’s District 69 in the North Carolina State House since 2012. He currently serves as a senior chairman of the Appropriations Committee and chairman of the Energy and Public Utilities Committee. Prior to his election, he served on the Union County Board of Education for 12 years, including six as board chairman. In 2021, Dean was named Legislator of the Year by the NC Values Coalition and Defender of Public Safety by the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association.

Dean was the “engineer” of the Connect NC Bond package in 2016 that included more than $1 billion dollars for the UNC System and $90 million dollars for the new science building at UNC Charlotte. In the next legislative session, he ensured UNC Charlotte was included in the Engineering NC’s Future initiative. Dean serves on the William States Lee College of Engineering Advisory Board.

Dean earned his undergraduate degree from The Citadel and his master’s degree in civil engineering from the William States Lee College of Engineering.