Jerry D. Blakemore serves as General Counsel for UNC Greensboro. UNC Greensboro has more than 20,000 students and 2,800 faculty and staff. UNC Greensboro is the largest state university in the Piedmont Triad and has an annual economic impact of more than $1 billion. Jerry was appointed General Counsel for The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in January 2017. He focuses his practice in the areas of governance, ethics, First Amendment and compliance, including NCAA compliance.
Jerry has more than 25 years of experience in higher education administration, policy development and the providing of legal services, 14 of which as General Counsel for major institutions of higher education. Jerry served as Vice President and General Counsel at Southern Illinois University from July 2004 through March 2011 and as Vice President and General Counsel for Northern Illinois University from April 2011 to December of 2016.
Jerry is a graduate of Princeton University from which he received his B.A. Degree in Political Science. Jerry was the 1976 recipient of the Princeton University Frederick Douglass Service Award for his community service. Jerry is a graduate of the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois, and is licensed to practice law before the United States Supreme Court, the Illinois Supreme Court, the United States Middle District Court of North Carolina and is a member of the North Carolina Bar.
Jerry is currently Chair of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) Board of Directors. Other NACUA service includes serving as Chair of the Board’s Advisory Committee on Compliance, Chair of the Board Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusiveness, and Secretary of the Board of Directors.
Jerry is a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences including NACUA, the American Council on Education (ACE), and the Association of Governing Boards (AGB). He has published more than 25 professional papers focusing on compliance, ethics, the First Amendment and governance issues.
Jerry is a Life Member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and served as President of the Mu Kappa Lambda Chapter of the Fraternity. Jerry is currently a member of the Kappa Lambda Chapter of the Fraternity located in Greensboro, NC.