Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP
August 9, 2006
Greensboro, NC

AUGUST 2006 - James T. Williams, Jr. has joined the board of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina ("BCBSNC"), a Chapel Hill, NC-based health insurer that provides coverage to more people than any other company in the state. 

Mr. Williams, a partner at Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP, has become a member of the 14-member board of trustees.  He previously served on Blue Cross Blue Shield's board before, from 1997 to 2001.