Brian Regan ’08

Gardner-Webb alumnus serves as Administrator with N.C. State Highway Patrol

“As I moved up the highway patrol organization, the skills I learned at GWU allowed me to be prepared for the administrative aspects and to be a forward and futuristic thinker.”

Brian Regan, a 2008 alumnus of Gardner-Webb University, has served nearly three decades with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP). In 2017, he was appointed as Major/Director of Professional Standards. Regan’s respect for the vocation began when he was 10 years old, and a state trooper came to his house. The trooper had the difficult job of telling them that Regan’s father had died in a motor vehicle crash.

“The state trooper—in the midst of this tragic event which changed my family’s lives forever—was extremely professional and compassionate toward my mother and my siblings and me,” Regan recalled. “His uniform was very sharp and his professionalism left an impression on a young boy.”

When Regan graduated from high school, he worked to help his mother with expenses, but his goals still included going to college and being a state trooper. He attended a local community college when he could afford to take a class. He became a certified Emergency Medical Technician in 1989. In 1991, he went to work for the Person County (N.C.) Sheriff’s Office. The next year, in May 1992, he graduated from the 89th Basic Patrol School and joined NCSHP.

With educational assistance provided by NCSHP, Regan obtained his Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice Technology from Guilford Technical Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Gardner-Webb, and a Master of Justice Administration from Methodist University. He also graduated from the 37th Session of North Carolina State University’s Administrative Officers Management Program, and the 244th Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy and FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association.

Regan chose Gardner-Webb because the University’s Degree Completion Program offered seated classes near his home in Asheboro, N.C., and the Christian environment was important to him. “I valued most the level of instruction I received and the fact that the professors and students could share their faith without worrying about being persecuted or punished for being a Christian,” Regan shared. “Also, most of the classes were small and the professor got to spend quality time with the students. It was obvious they truly cared about their students. It wasn’t just a job to them.”

Additionally, he learned to be open to new ideas, think critically through issues and stay abreast of best practices. “As I moved up through the highway patrol organization, the skills I learned at GWU allowed me to be prepared for the administrative aspects and to be a forward and futuristic thinker,” Regan affirmed.

He has spent most of his 26 years with NCSHP in field operations. A certified general instructor since 1997, he is also a specialized instructor in Physical Fitness, Defensive Tactics and First Responder. Regan was promoted to line sergeant in November 2000, first sergeant in February 2004, lieutenant in September 2008 and captain in April 2012. He served as a troop commander in Troop B Fayetteville (April 2012 – May 2013) and Troop D Greensboro (May 2013 – March 2017).

In his position as NCSHP director of Professional Standards, Regan supervises the following units: Accreditation, Internal Affairs, Inspection and Compliance, and Policy Development. “Within my section, we ensure our organization is operating in a professional manner by guarding our integrity, establishing operational readiness and upholding high ethical standards,” Regan noted. “We research and author all of our policies for liability avoidance and to provide accountability and professional public services.”