Raleigh attorney and former federal magistrate judge William Webb resigned from the UNC Board of Governors on Jan. 31, according to a note provided by UNC System spokesman Josh Ellis. “I am thankful for [Webb’s] service on the board and wish him well in his future endeavors,” Board Chairman Harry Smith wrote to other governors. A phone call to Webb wasn’t immediately returned. He joined the board in 2015, and his term was slated to expire later this year.
Webb is a senior adviser to the Shanahan McDougal law firm in Raleigh. After earning a law degree at the University of Connecticut, he worked in various federal government posts, including as a member of the Federal Equal Opportunity Commission. In Raleigh, he’s been an assistant attorney general, general counsel at the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, and a federal magistrate judge assisting U.S. District Court judges.
Webb’s departure leaves the UNC System board with 27 voting members. State lawmakers previously agreed to reduce the board membership to 24 later this year.
His wife, Allyson Duncan, has been a judge on the U.S. Appeals Court for the Fourth Circuit since 2003.
In September, Webb provided $50,000 for an endowed scholarship at Fayetteville State University, which is part of the UNC System. The fund will support students who served in the U.S. armed forces.
