The Lee County Board of Commissioners voted in open session Monday night to hire a new county attorney, the Rant has learned.
Whitney Parrish, a Lee County native currently serving as prosecutor under District Attorney Vernon Stewart, was hired by unanimous vote at Monday night’s meeting. Commissioner Ricky Frazier made the motion to hire Parrish.
The vacancy was created on April 1, when former County Attorney Kerry Schmid’s resignation, announced in January, became effective. Schmid was hired by the board in 2012 to replace then recently-deceased Dale Talbert, but did not become licensed to practice law in North Carolina until 2014.
The county attorney advises the county manager and board of commissioners on legal issues pertaining to their duties, and represents the county in any official legal matters.