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 is a seasoned attorney with nearly two decades working in the UNC System. She comes to us most recently from UNC Greensboro, where she has served in the Office of General Counsel since 2016, most recently as Deputy General Counsel, since 2020. Prior to UNC Greensboro, Kristen was Assistant University Attorney, then Associate University Attorney at East Carolina University.
Her portfolio includes a vast array of higher education experience, including First Amendment, employment law, policy development, financial aid, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title IX compliance, internal investigations and external responses to the Office of Civil Rights, and significant background in policy development, compliance and risk management.
Kristen 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.
828-262-2751
ogc@appstate.edu
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 35th 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.