Ray S. Farris has always exhibited the highest standards of professionalism and excellence in his long career as an attorney, with much of his practice focused on estate planning and administration as well as probate, fiduciary and shareholder disputes. Beyond his outstanding professional accomplishments, his civic endeavors have had an enormous impact on the Mecklenburg County community and beyond.
Mr. Farris has served on numerous boards in Mecklenburg County, including the Foundation for the Carolinas, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Foundation, Catholic Social Services, the Mercy Hospital Foundation, and Carolina Partnership. He has served as President and/or Chairman of several other organizations, including Spirit Square Center for the Arts, the Area Mental Heath Authority, the Charlotte Drug Education Center, and the Charlotte Memorial Medical Center Bond Campaign. He is currently a Trustee for the Metropolitan YMCA and serves on the Board of Advisors for Belmont Abbey College.
In addition to the Mecklenburg County community, Mr. Farris has made a second career out of serving his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to previously serving on the Board of Visitors, the Athletic Council, and as president of the General Alumni Association for UNC-CH, Mr. Farris just stepped down after 13 years of service on the Board of Governors for the University of North Carolina system and was recently honored for his service on the Board and his dedication to improving the quality of higher education in the state of North Carolina.
Mr. Farris' contributions to the legal community are too many to list in total. He served as president of the Mecklenburg County Bar and has served on several committees for the North Carolina Bar Association and State Bar, including IOLTA of which he was chairman for three years. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation as well as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.
It is for these reasons and many more that we are honored to present Mr. Farris with the 2010 Ayscue Professionalism Award.