Staff
Meet the team members in the Office of General Counsel and learn a little about us. View our organizational chart for how our office is structured.
Kristen Bonatz has nearly two decades working in the UNC System. She previously served
as Deputy General Counsel at UNC Greensboro and as an Associate University Attorney at
East Carolina University. She leads the team of compliance, legal, risk, and audit
professionals in the Division of Institutional Integrity.
Bonatz holds a Bachelor of Arts from UNC Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctor from the University
of Connecticut School of Law. She served as a law clerk for Chief Judge John C. Martin of the
North Carolina Court of Appeals.
Sarah joined the Office of General Counsel in 2022. Her primary area of practice for the University is real estate. Prior to joining the General Counsel’s Office, Sarah was in private practice in Boone where she focused primarily on real estate transactions. She spent the beginning of her career in Washington, D.C., working in commercial real estate, including purchase and sale, leasing, and financing transactions. Sarah graduated from Cornell University and Duke University School of Law. When not in the office, she enjoys spending time outside with her husband and three children.
Clay Abernethy joined the Office of General Counsel in January of 2026. He advises the University on a range of legal and compliance matters in support of the University’s academic, administrative, and operational functions. His areas of practice include contracts and transactional matters, business and employment law issues, compliance, and nonprofit and governance-related matters.
Clay earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law and holds bachelor’s degrees in Economics and International Business from Appalachian State University’s Walker College of Business. When he’s not in the office, you’ll find Clay out hiking, baking, or working on a car.
Valerie joined the Office of General Counsel in 2026. Prior to joining Appalachian State, she worked as a senior trial attorney and litigator with the Colorado State Public Defender’s office. She also had the privilege of serving as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. R. Brooke Jackson, a federal judge for the District of Colorado. While she has called the Rocky Mountains home for the past decade, she was born and raised in North Carolina and is thrilled to be back in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She’s equally excited to be a part of the Appalachian State community and to provide legal guidance to the University in support of its mission.
Valerie received her Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado Law School in Boulder, and her bachelor’s degree from Hunter College in New York City. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her husband and three dogs, skiing, and being an avid Carolina Hurricanes fan.
Melissa Blocker joined the Office of General Counsel in March 2020 and transitioned into a business services and operations role in 2022, when she was named Director of Legal and Compliance Operations. In 2026, she was appointed Assistant Vice Chancellor and now oversees operational strategy, compliance, budgeting, finance, and personnel administration in support of the University’s legal and compliance functions. She has completed a certificate in Strategic Higher Education Finance and Planning, strengthening her expertise in institutional finance and resource management.
Prior to joining Appalachian State University, Melissa worked at a private criminal defense firm, managing accounting, business services, and trust accounts while supporting a range of criminal matters. Her background includes extensive experience in finance, budgeting, accounting, and personnel operations.
Melissa has served certified mediator through the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission and previously served as Program Coordinator for the Sentencing Services Program in North Carolina’s 24th Judicial District under the Office of Indigent Defense Services, where she helped implement diversion and alternative sentencing programs. She earned a B.S., magna cum laude, in Political Science from Appalachian State University and an A.A.S. in Paralegal Technology from Caldwell Community College and is an active member of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Education Law, Administrative Law, and Business Law Sections.
Having worked at Appalachian State University for the past four years, Emily made the switch to the Office of General Counsel in April of 2022. Before joining the Appalachian State family, she had focused her career on Child Development, working with many early learning centers within her community. Emily spends much time involved in youth sports as her two sons play soccer, basketball, and baseball. She is honored to be able to serve Appalachian State.
Hunter Swayngim began working at Appalachian State University for the Office of General Counsel in June 2024. While attending UNC Charlotte, he worked as a Student Assistant until graduating in 2019. In October 2020 he began working with Political Science and Public Administration as the Undergraduate Administrative Associate and in July 2022 he took on the Administrative Assistant position in the International Student and Scholar Office.
Hunter is from Mills River, North Carolina and grew up on a small farm deep in the Appalachian Mountains. There he built a trebuchet to launch leftover pumpkins for his senior project in high school. While in Charlotte he spent several years challenging corporate landlord practices, policies, and HOA restrictions on behalf of renters in low-income and starter home areas. In his free time he enjoys gardening, small plot farming, winemaking, and spending time with his fiancée and new puppy.
Wendy Hildebran began working as a Paralegal in the Office of General Counsel in July of 2021 and began serving as the Senior Paralegal in 2022. Wendy graduated from North Carolina State University and Meredith College. She began her career working as a paralegal for the law firm of Wheatly, Wheatly, Nobles Weeks, PA in Beaufort, NC, where she supported the attorney for the Town of Beaufort and Carteret County. She relocated to Greensboro, NC, where she worked as a paralegal to the Vice-President and General Counsel of General Dynamics Advanced Technology Systems, Inc. She and her husband, Scott, live in Lenoir with their two cats.