Arlan was born November 28, 1959 in Grand Haven and was adopted April 8 1960, by Sidney and Ethel Meekhof. He is the oldest of four adopted children.
Arlan grew up in West Michigan, and has lived in Olive Township with his wife Barb for over 25 years. They also have three adult children—Adrian, Rich, and Meredith. Their children all attended Borculo Christian School and Unity Christian High School. Arlan and Barb's are very blessed with two infant granddaughters.
Arlan recognizes that his birth mother gave him a life-long gift by putting him up for adoption. Because of this, Arlan and his wife are strong supporters of the pro-life movement. He has supported and volunteered for several pro-life organizations that work to promote adoption as an alternative to abortion.
Arlan was first elected to the Olive Township Board of Trustees in 1996, where he has served as a Trustee and later as Township Supervisor. Arlan was responsible for the daily operations of Olive Township—one of the fastest growing communities in Ottawa County. Since being elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2006, Arlan has swiftly become one of the most influential Representatives in the Republican Caucus. He was elected to his first leadership post midway through his first term, and was elevated to the position of Assistant Leader in January 2009.
Arlan has used his position of influence to advocate for both socially and fiscally conservative legislation. He is one of the few Representatives that voted against both the implementation of the Michigan Business Tax and the package of insurance bills that would have helped non-profit Blue Cross Blue Shield at the expense of Michigan’s for-profit insurance community. He has also consistently earned high ratings from the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, NFIB, Michigan Farm Bureau, Citizens for Traditional Values, and Michigan Right to Life.