RALEIGH – Stuart B. Dorsett has been appointed chairman of the statewide board of directors of the North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF), according to James W. Narron, immediate past chairman. Dorsett is only the fifth board chairman in NCCF’s 25-year history.

“This is a key role for the Foundation during a milestone period in the organization’s growth and development,” according to Narron, whose four years as board chair ended last month. He remains a member of the board.

Dorsett is an estate attorney and leader of the Trusts and Estates Practice Group for Ward and Smith, PA. He has been a member of NCCF’s statewide board since 2004 and is a past president of the boards of advisors of the Craven County Community Foundation and the Wake County Community Foundation, both affiliates of NCCF.

NCCF CEO and President Jennifer Tolle Whiteside said that the Foundation would benefit from Dorsett’s professional stature as a leading estate attorney and thorough knowledge of North Carolina’s communities. “I speak for the entire board and staff when I say we are excited about Stuart’s new role as board chair,” she said. “His experience, expertise, commitment and energy combine to make him the right leader at the right time.”

Dorsett is certified by the North Carolina State Bar in estate planning and probate law and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Some of his honors include being named among the “Best Lawyers in America” from 2001 to the present; “Lawyer of the Year” in 2013; and among Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite” from 2002 to 2013. Dorsett received his juris doctorate from the School of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his bachelor’s degree from Davidson College, where he has served on the board of trustees and as president of the alumni association.