Crawford H. Cleveland III

Crawford Cleveland clevelandch@appstate.edu

Crawford H. Cleveland III

Senior Associate General Counsel

Crawford serves as Senior Associate General Counsel for Appalachian State University. He joined the Office of General Counsel in 2019. His legal practice areas include litigation, regulatory compliance, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, utility law for New River Light & Power, first amendment law, and public record requests. Prior to joining the University, he was a partner with di Santi, Watson, Capua, Wilson & Garrett, PLLC. He has experience in general civil litigation and has served as a County Attorney for Watauga County. Additionally, he also has in-house counsel experience with a large construction company in Louisiana from his time in New Orleans.

Dedicated to supporting the legal community, Crawford has served in a number of leadership positions. He was elected to the State Bar Council, the 60-member governing body for the North Carolina State Bar, in January of 2025. He is a member of the State Bar Ethics Committee. In recent years, he was elected as President of the 35^th Judicial District Bar in 2021, appointed as Vice-Chair of the State Bar Lawyer Assistance Program, and has served as President of the Watauga County Bar Association twice. He is also a graduate of the University of North Carolina System Executive Leadership Institute, completing that program in 2024.

EXPERIENCE

Education

The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee – B.A. English
Charlotte School of Law, North Carolina – Juris Doctor

Bar Admissions

North Carolina

Memberships

North Carolina State Bar, State Bar Councilor for Judicial District 35
North Carolina State Bar Association
35th Judicial District Bar, President 2021
Watauga County Bar Association, President 2019, 2024
National Association of College and University Attorneys
University of North Carolina System Attorneys Group
UNC Executive Leadership Institute, Class of 2024

University Committees

Emergency Management Task Force
Real Estate Committee
Occupational Safety and Health Committee
Academic Affairs Standard Operating Procedures Committee

Community Service

Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors 2025-2027
North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Assistance Program, Board of Directors Vice-Chair 2020-2026
National Ski Patrol, Alpine Patroller at Appalachian Ski Mountain
St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church, Blowing Rock, Vestry 2018-2020
Watauga County Children’s Council, Board of Directors 2016-2019
Boone Sunrise Rotary 2016-2018

Meghan Wills

Assistant General Counsel

Meghan started as Assistant General Counsel for Appalachian State University in August of 2021. Her primary areas of practice for the University are Athletics, Title IX, Contracts, Equal Opportunity, Policy, and advising the University’s Academy at Middle Fork. She came from the Watauga County District Attorney’s Office, where she served as Assistant District Attorney. Prior to the District Attorney’s Office, Meghan worked in private practice. She has worked on a variety of matters, including litigation, personal injury, and contract disputes. Meghan received her Bachelor of Arts from Bridgewater College in 2013 and her Juris Doctor from the Elon University School of Law in 2015.

Meghan is very active in the Watauga County Bar Association, serving as President in 2025 and as a member of the Executive Committee since 2019. She also serves on the board of the Watauga Humane Society. In December 2024, Meghan was featured in Vanguard Magazine.

EXPERIENCE

Education

Elon University School of Law, Juris Doctor
Bridgewater College, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

Bar Admissions

North Carolina

Professional Affiliations

North Carolina State Bar
35th Judicial District Bar
Watauga County Bar Association

Melissa Blocker

Director of Legal and Compliance Operations

Melissa Blocker began working as a Paralegal in the Office of General Counsel in March 2020 and began serving as Director of Legal and Compliance Operations in 2022. Melissa currently serves as the Ethics Liaison between Appalachian and the North Carolina State Ethics Commission. Before joining Appalachian State, she worked in a criminal defense law firm, assisting with numerous and various types of criminal matters. Melissa has worked in several facets of the legal field, including as a Mediator, certified by the Dispute Resolution Commission of North Carolina, wherein she successfully mediated many cases involving domestic, juvenile, civil, and criminal law issues. Melissa also served as Program Coordinator in the 24th Judicial District of North Carolina, for the Sentencing Services Program, which is organized under the Office of Indigent Defense Services of North Carolina, wherein she developed and helped implement many incarceration diversion plan(s) and other sentencing and rehabilitation options. Melissa received her undergraduate degree from Appalachian State (Bachelor of Science in Political Science, magna cum laude) and her Associate of Applied Science in Paralegal Technology from Caldwell Community College. She is a member of the North Carolina State Bar Association Paralegal and criminal law sections. Melissa is involved in the community with school sports programs, particularly basketball with her son and husband. She loves to camp (or glamp in an RV) with her family, attend Appalachian Basketball games, and is proud to be a part of the Appalachian community.

EXPERIENCE

Education

Appalachian State University, Bachelor of Science in Political Science (magna cum laude), 2000
Caldwell Community College, Associate of Applied Science in Paralegal Technology, 1998

Professional Affiliations

NC Bar Association Paralegal and criminal law sections
Association of College and University Policy Administrators
National Association of College and University Business Officers
Corporate Legal Operations Consortium

Practice Groups

Higher Education
Litigation (eDiscovery, Torts, Workers’ Compensation)
Real Property
Transactional
University Governance