Richard Marvin Collier

Richard Marvin Collier is the Republican candidate for the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners in the 2026 general election. The Board serves as the county’s chief policy‑making body, tasked with addressing county‑wide concerns such as rising costs of living, infrastructure needs, and quality‑of‑life pressures for residents and businesses ².

Collier has lived in Wilmington since 1997. He grew up on a farm outside Fayetteville and earned a degree in civil engineering from North Carolina State University. He has spent three decades working as a civil engineer for McKim and Creed, a firm that has delivered major projects in the region, including the Mayfaire and RiverLights developments.

His public‑service career began with a twelve‑year tenure on the New Hanover County Planning Board (2007‑2014), where he served both as chairman and vice‑chairman. He currently holds a seat on the Wilmington Planning Commission, now in his third term, providing him with direct experience in land‑use, zoning, and long‑range infrastructure planning ³.

In 2025 Collier entered the non‑partisan Wilmington City Council race, emphasizing his problem‑solving background and conservative principles. He finished fifth in a field that elected four council members, gaining valuable campaign experience and reinforcing his commitment to public service ²⁵.

Collier’s platform for the county commission draws on his engineering training and his record on planning boards. He highlights the need for fiscally responsible governance, efficient infrastructure upgrades, and policies that protect wetlands, floodplains, and the tree canopy. He advocates for modernizing roads, storm‑water systems, and utilities to keep pace with rapid growth, expanding sidewalks and bike paths, and improving public‑safety support for first responders. Collier also stresses affordable‑housing initiatives that align with infrastructure capacity and environmental safeguards. Throughout his statements he links his “engineer’s approach” – studying details, seeking efficient solutions, and focusing on results – to the county’s challenges ²³⁵⁸.

While he has not previously held elected office, Collier’s combined experience as a civil engineer, planning board leader, and recent city‑council candidate positions him to address the county’s budget, land‑use, and service‑delivery decisions. He frames his candidacy as a continuation of his commitment to “limited government, fiscal responsibility, and accountability,” values he says are essential for New Hanover County’s future prosperity ².

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