B. Gordon Watkins III
COUNTY ATTORNEY
Forsyth County, North Carolina
B. Gordon Watkins III serves as County Attorney for Forsyth County, North Carolina, where he has worked since 2000. In that position, he and his staff represent the Forsyth County Board of Elections, the Board of Commissioners, and all County departments. Following the release of the US Census in 2001, 2011, and 2021, Gordon led the redistricting efforts for the County Board of Commissioners, working closely with both the elections director and the Commissioners. In addition, Gordon represents the County with respect to all legal issues, including property tax, construction, economic development, environmental issues, contracts, and civil litigation. He was a chief negotiator and drafter of the North Carolina Opioid Settlement Memorandum of Agreement, which provides 85% of settlement proceeds directly to local governments. This will fund over $1.3 billion in local opioid programs across the state. This settlement agreement has been recognized nationally for its innovative, transparent process that has made North Carolina a leader in opioid treatment and prevention.
Gordon has served as president of the National Association of Civil County Attorneys (NACCA), president of the North Carolina Association of County Attorneys (NCACA), and chair of the NC Opioid Settlement Coordination Group. He has served on the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) Board of Directors and Finance Committee. As part of NCACA, Gordon helped form a rapid response team of county attorneys who provide quick review of proposed North Carolina General Assembly bills. He studied economics at Davidson College and MIT, and graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law. Gordon worked as an assistant economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and practiced law with the Kilpatrick firm in Winston-Salem before joining the County Attorney’s Office.
