Governor Cooper Appoints Wilmington’s Neal Andrew to NC Coastal Resources Commission

WILMINGTON, NC – Governor Roy Cooper recently reappointed Neal Andrew, P.E., president of Andrew Consulting Engineers of Wilmington, NC, to serve as a member of the NC Coastal Resources Commission. Andrew previously served on the board from 2013 through 2018 and was appointed for a four-year term in 2019. The commission, or CRC, is responsible for preparing and adopting rules that govern development in the state’s 20 coastal counties. The CRC was created in 1974 when the NC General Assembly adopted the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA). The commission designates areas of environmental concern, adopts rules and policies for coastal development within those areas, and certifies local land-use plans.

The CRC consists of 13 members appointed by the Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the Senate President Pro Tempore. Eleven of the 13 members must have experience in a particular area of expertise, including land development, coastal engineering, marine science, coastal-related business, local government, coastal agriculture, commercial fishing, coastal forestry, sports fishing, and wildlife. Two members may be “at-large.”

Andrew fills one of two seats requiring experience in engineering or a marine-related science. He will serve a four-year term through June 2023.

Andrew, a professional structural engineer, has specialized expertise in structural, marine and forensic engineering, as well as overall project management. A 1993 graduate of NC State University with a degree in Civil Engineering, Andrew received a Masters’ Degree in Structural Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1995. In February 2004, Andrew launched Andrew Consulting Engineers, a full-service firm that provides engineering services throughout the southeast. Notable projects include the Cinema Drive and Shipyard Boulevard City of Wilmington Fire Stations, St. Mark’s Catholic Church Education Center, Progress Point CVS, Cape Fear Community College Union Station, GE Advanced Technology Centers 1 & 2, Wilmington Riverwalk, Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College and the Cofferdam and State Employees Credit Union Memorial Walkway at the Battleship North Carolina.

A native of Wilmington, NC, Andrew is an active member of several professional associations and has served on several committees for the North Carolina State Building Code Council. He is Vice Chairman of the New Hanover County Port, Waterway and Beach Commission; 2^nd Vice-Chair of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; Chairman of the Industrial Facilities Commission, and Vice-President of Masonboro.org.  In 2011, he was selected as the PENC (Professional Engineers of NC) Southeast Chapter 2011 Engineer of the Year by his peers and has won numerous statewide awards for his work.