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North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby appointed two new chief judges on Wednesday to oversee courts in the state’s eastern and western regions. District Court Judges Donna Forga and W. Curtis Stackhouse will head the 43rd and 9th judicial districts, respectively, according to the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts.

Judge Forga began her new role on Wednesday, while Judge Stackhouse will take over on January 1. Judge Forga’s district includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties in the western part of the state, while Judge Stackhouse will oversee Greene, Lenoir, and Wayne counties in the east.

Before her promotion to chief judge, Forga served as a district judge in the 30th judicial district. Stackhouse is currently serving in the eighth judicial district and will complete his term by the end of the year. Forga, who graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law, replaces Judge Roy Wijewickrama, who was appointed to the Superior Court. Stackhouse, a graduate of North Carolina Central University School of Law, will succeed Chief District Court Judge Elizabeth Heath, who is retiring.