On July 22, 2019, the Transylvania County Board of County Commissioners voted
unanimously to appoint Mary Ann J. Hollocker as the full time Special Counsel to the
Department of Social Services. Commissioners reached this decision after having decided
earlier this summer to restructure legal services due to the upcoming departure of Misti Bass,
who served as the staff County and DSS attorney since 2017. Bass was the first staff attorney
for Transylvania County before her move to another area of the state.

“The last two years has made a profound impact on our ability to expedite legal
proceedings for the Department of Social Services by providing consistent and comprehensive
legal representation. The improvements we have accomplished in 2017 reflect the necessary
role of having counsel on staff at the county to serve DSS and our citizens,” Page Lemel, County
Commissioner Representative on the DSS Board said.

The Department of Social Services provides services for Transylvania County’s most
vulnerable citizens from children through seniors. Having a full- time attorney to assist in these
matters is a benefit to both staff and the citizens.

“Over the years, we've struggled to provide the families, children, and adults of this
county with timely, quality legal services related to Department of Social Services. The Board of
County Commissioners was willing to initiate and test new model of legal services which now
includes an attorney appointment dedicated to Department of Social Services matters. This
dedicated attorney model is being successful in our community. Mary Ann Hollocker has been
in the role part time since January and we are excited about the future with her full time,"
Judith West, DSS Board Chair said.

Hollocker graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a B.S. in Legal Administration
and received her Juris Doctorate from Golden Gate School of Law. Hollocker served as a
Deputy Prosecutor in Hilo, Hawaii for 12 years before relocating to Hendersonville. Hollocker’s
other experience includes serving as Magistrate in Henderson County and as an Assistant
Professor at Brevard College.