Chief Justice Paul Newby has appointed Yancey County District Court Judge Rebecca Eggers-Gryder to serve as chief district court judge for District Court District 35 (Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga, and Yancey counties) effective January 1, 2025. Judge Eggers-Gryder will fill the vacancy left by Chief District Court Judge Ted McEntire, who is running unopposed for superior court judge.

"I am confident that Judge Eggers-Gryder will continue to serve her community well in her new administrative capacity in Yancey County," said Chief Justice Newby.

Judge Eggers-Gryder was appointed in 2015 as a district court judge by former Governor Pat McCrory and was elected and reelected in 2016 and 2020, respectively. She was the first female to serve as a district court judge for this Judicial District, which includes Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Yancey, and Watauga counties. While serving as a district court judge, she worked toward the implementation of a Safe Babies Court pilot site for Mitchell and Yancey counties to shorten the time that young children remain in the foster care system and that permanence is achieved as quickly as possible for those children. Judge Eggers-Gryder previously served as a trial lawyer for almost 30 years, and received her undergraduate degree at Appalachian State University and her Juris Doctor at Campbell University School of Law.