Attorney General Josh Stein Honors North Carolinians with 2020 Dogwood Awards

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Contact: Laura Brewer (919) 716-6484

NOTE: Pictures available here.

(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein today awarded 27 North Carolinians with the Attorney General’s Dogwood Award. These awards are given annually to honor North Carolinians who are dedicated to keeping people safe, healthy, and happy in their communities. Each of today’s 27 recipients has been working to address issues that make North Carolina safer and stronger, including bringing justice to victims of sexual assault, fighting addiction, protecting our environment, making the criminal justice system fairer, and improving people’s health.

“2020 has been a difficult year,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “That makes it all the more rewarding for me to honor these Dogwood Award winners – each of whom are working hard to make the lives of those around them better. I appreciate all their hard work and their contributions to making North Carolina safer and stronger.”

A full list of 2020 Dogwood Award Recipients is below:

• Randy Abbott, volunteer coordinator, SAFE Project, Greensboro
• Sheriff Charles Blackwood, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough
• Dr. Carly Brown, Masks of Love, Asheville
• District Attorney Ben David, New Hanover & Pender County District Attorney’s Office, Wilmington
• District Attorney Satana Deberry, Durham County District Attorney’s Office, Durham
• Christian Dueñas, DACA recipient and advocate, Durham
• Bishop Todd Fulton, Mt. Moriah Outreach Center, Kernersville
• Peter Gilbert, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Durham
• Peter Gwaltney, North Carolina Bankers Association, Wake Forest
• Hayley Harris and Lara Purnell, Layers of Dignity, Raleigh
• Chief Mark Holtzman, Greenville Police Department, Greenville
• Mayor Vi Lyles, Charlotte
• Beth Messersmith, MomsRising, Durham
• Mike Reardon, Carolina Climbers Association, Asheville
• Sec. Michael Regan, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Raleigh
• Sheriff Danny Rogers, Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, Greensboro
• Rep. Carson Smith, District 16, Hampstead
• Jessie Smith, UNC School of Government, Chapel Hill
• Principal Chief Richard Sneed, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee
• Sheriff Keith Stone, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Nashville
• Isaac Sturgill, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Charlotte
• Frank Timberlake, Rich Square Market, Rich Square
• Dr. Ogugua Ndili Obi, Vidant Health, Greenville
• Wendy Mateo-Pascual, Latinx community advocate, Concord
• Dr. Anuradha Rao-Patel, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Durham
• Amy Upham, Buncombe County Opioid Response Coordinator, Asheville

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