Ellis Hankins is a Senior Associate with Mercer Group Associates. He also serves as a county and municipal attorney, and teaches as a Visiting Professor in public policy and management programs at UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State and Duke University.

He served from 1997 until 2014 as Executive Director of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, the statewide municipal association, and previously as General Counsel. He has practiced law with four law firms. Currently he serves as a member of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Board.

Ellis earned B.A., Master of Regional Planning and Law degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill. He is licensed to practice law in North Carolina and in federal courts.