Tawanda Foster Artis is the General Counsel and Vice-President of Legal Affairs & Human Resources for the North Carolina Community College System. A double Tarheel, she earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. With nearly 20 years in state government legal roles, Tawanda has been a senior staff attorney at the North Carolina General Assembly, drafting legislation and advising lawmakers. She served as Chief Editor for the guidebook, “Summaries of Substantive Ratified Legislation.” Tawanda has also been appellate counsel at the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts, an assistant attorney general, and an assistant district attorney.
Before law school, she worked in corporate human resources. Passionate about community service, she volunteers with child literacy programs, hunger relief charities, and has served on several boards, including "A Place at the Table" in Raleigh. Recognized for her contributions, she received the Statewide Citizen Lawyer Award in 2020 and the Wake County Bar Association’s President’s Award in 2022. Tawanda enjoys traveling, live music, volunteering, and family time.
