Attorney General’s Dogwood Awards

The Attorney General’s Dogwood Awards, created in 2017 by Attorney General Josh Stein, is an award given to honor North Carolinians who are dedicated to keeping people safe, healthy, and happy in their communities.

Lists of Recipients

2017

Thomas Bashore, Nashville Chief of Police
Tessie Castillo, Advocacy and Communications Coordinator for Carolina Harm Reduction
Van Duncan, Buncombe County Sheriff
Blake Fagan, Family Physician and Chief Education Officer at Mountain Area Health Education Centerr
Chase Holleman, Founder of Guilford Naloxone Task Force
Donald McDonald, Executive Director of Addiction Professionals of NC
Heather Moore, Founder of the Anchor Holds
Ola Lewis, Brunswick County Senior Resident Superior Court Judge
Cindy Patane, Co-founded Sneads Ferry’s Heroin Opiate Prevention Education Program
Vanessa Sapp, Co-founded Sneads Ferry’s Heroin Opiate Prevention Education Program

2018

Jim Albright, Director, Guilford County Emergency Services, Greensboro
Asa Buck, Carteret County Sheriff, Beaufort
Mike Cannon, co-founder of JCANS, Wilson
Becky Cannon, co-founder of JCANS, Wilson
J.H Corpening, Chief District Court Judge, 5th Judicial District, Wilmington
Debbie Dalton, founder of The Hunter Dalton #HDLife Foundation, Cornelius
Bill Hollingsed, Chief of Police, Waynesville Police Department, Waynesville
Monika Johnson-Hostler, Executive Director, North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Raleigh
William Lassiter, Deputy Commissioner of Juvenile Justice, North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Raleigh
Bradley Letts, Superior Court Judge, 30B Judicial District, North Carolina Superior Court, Waynesville
Spencer Merriweather, District Attorney, Mecklenburg County, Charlotte
Kenneth Shultz, Chief of Police, High Point Police Department, High Point
John Somerindyke, Lieutenant, Fayetteville Police Department, Fayetteville
Kurtis Stewart, Board Chair of the New Bern Area of Improvement, New Bern/Durham
Nicole Sullivan, Director, Reentry, Programs and Services, North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Raleigh
Meade Horton Van Pelt, Executive Director, The Harrelson Center, Wilmington

2019

Wanda Boone, Together for Resilient Youth, Durham
Mark Bowling, East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine and Vidant Health, Greenville
Tom Brewer, President, Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics Association of North Carolina, Charlotte
Danny Britt, Columbus and Robeson County
Mandy Cohen, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh
Casey Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, Cherokee Indian Hospital, Cherokee
Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis, Durham Police Department
Molly Diggins, State Director, Sierra Club, Raleigh
Officer D.K. Evans, School Resource Officer, Greensboro Police Department
Randy Evans, Founder and Director, Walking Tall Wilmington
Dennis Gaddy, Founder and Executive Director, Community Success Initiative, Raleigh
Chief Gina Hawkins, Fayetteville Police Department
Sheriff John Ingram, Brunswick County
Luka Kinard, Student/Speaker on Dangers of E-cigarettes, High Point
Sheriff Alan Norman, Cleveland County
Dennis Riddell, Alamance County
Mayor Bob Scott, Franklin
Chief Wayne Scott, Greensboro Police Department
Mayor Patrick Taylor, Highlands
Chief Catrina Thompson, Winston-Salem Police Department
Don Waddell, General Manager, Carolina Hurricanes, Raleigh
Chief Mike Yaniero, Jacksonville Police Department

2020

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

2021

Dr. Rasheeda Monroe, The Sister Circle, Cary
Dr. Netasha McLawhorn, The Sister Circle, Raleigh
Dr. Michele Benoit-Wilson, The Sister Circle, Raleigh
Dr. Tiffany Lowe-Payne, The Sister Circle, Wendell
Dr. Jacqueline Hicks, The Sister Circle, Zebulon
Dr. Nerissa M. Price, The Sister Circle, Raleigh
Lowe’s Home Improvement, Mooresville
President Deborah Dicks Maxwell, North Carolina NAACP, Wilmington
Dr. Kerianne Crockett, North Carolina Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, ECU Brody School of Medicine, and Vidant Medical Center, Greenville
Kristie Puckett Williams, American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, Charlotte
Secretary Eddie Buffaloe, North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Raleigh
Sheriff Quentin Miller, Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, Asheville
Officer Stephanie Collins, Fayetteville Police Department, Fayetteville
Ingram Bell, Gate City Coalition, Greensboro
Linda Combs, sexual assault Survivor and advocate, Fayetteville
Sue and Rod Lee, HeartWorks, Bayboro
Karen Prince, HeartWorks, Bayboro
Chief Chris Blue, Chapel Hill Police Department, Chapel Hill
District Attorney Matt Scott, Robeson County, Lumberton
Sen. Jim Burgin, District 12 (Harnett, Johnson, and Lee counties), Angier
Kemp Burdette, Cape Fear River Watch, Wilmington
Margaret D. Bordeaux, North Carolina Division of Public Health’s Injury and Violence Prevention Branch, Wilmington
Major Elijah Bazemore, Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Durham
Kevin Leonard, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, Apex
Sara LaVere, Brunswick County Board of Elections, Brunswick County
Rep. Dean Arp, District 69 (Union County), Monroe
Rep. Jason Saine, District 97 (Lincoln County), Lincolnton
Rep. Donny C. Lambeth, District 75 (Forsyth County), Winston-Salem
Rep. Jake Johnson, District 113 (Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties), Mill Springs
Michelle Ellis, Hunter Huss High School, Gastonia
Octavia Hamilton, Isaac Dickson Elementary School, Asheville
Dean Bagnoni, John F. Kennedy High School, Winston-Salem
Christopher Lane, Chapel Hill Police Department, Chapel Hill
Marcus Morris, Scotland Neck Police Department, Scotland Neck
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Asheville
Piedmont Land Conservancy, Greensboro

2022

Lt. Stephen Vaughan, Durham Police Department
Karen Parker, Safe Alliance
Lauren Schwartz, InterAct
Katherine Ariano, Duke Health
Jenny Anand, UNC Health
Sheriff Paula Dance, Pitt County
Sgt. Candace Burlingame, Boone Police Department
Rep. Wayne Sasser
Michelle Mathis, Olive Branch Ministry
Commissioner Johnnie Carswell, Burke County
Sarah Gayton, Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office
Maia Hughes, Buncombe County MAT Program
Sen. Julie Mayfield
Lavita Hill, Eastern Band of Cherokee
Mary Crowe, Eastern Band of Cherokee
Raleigh Police Department
Tameka O’Neal, Novant Health
District Attorney Billy West
District Attorney Locke Bell
District Attorney Robert Evans
District Attorney Jim Woodall
Sen. Brent Jackson
Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough, Forsyth County
Sheriff James Clemmons
Sheriff Landric Reid
Sheriff Hubert Peterkin
Sheriff Danny Heath
J. Steve Mason, Fire Chief, City of Wilmington
Rep. Grier Martin
Vernon Gammon, Teamsters
Mike McGaha, Teamsters
Dr. Virginia Newell, Winston-Salem State University
Dr. Erica Pettigrew
Brian Clark, NC Ports
Janice Cole
Stephen DeMay, Duke Energy
James Ferguson
Michella Huff, Surry County

2023

Lynn Guilliams, Fuquay-Varina Middle School
Baker Burleson, parent advocate
Survivors of sexual assault, Accepted by Amy Feath, Carousel Child Advocacy Center
Sen. Tom McInnis
Nidhi Sachdeva, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners
Diannee Carden-Glenn, ekiM For Change
District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch, Prosecutorial District 43
Detective Tori Kennedy, Burlington Police Department
Detective Josh Schultz, Burlington Police Department
Jan and Ron Kimble, Jamie Kimble Foundation for Courage
Rashida Gittens, domestic violence victor and advocate
Catherine Johnson, Guilford Family Justice Center
Philip Cooper, Operation Gateway
Mayor Preston Blakely, Town of Fletcher
Officer Robert Daughety, Jacksonville Police Department
Officer Sarah Butler, Jacksonville Police Department
Sheriff Lowell Griffin, Henderson County
Sheriff Clee Atkinson, Edgecombe County
Kara Fox, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Maria Teresa Maza, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ryan Etheridge, Cleveland County Schools
Kimberly Jones, Chapel Hill High School
Mayor Zeb Smathers, Town of Canton
Rep. Kyle Hall
Cady Thomas
Cassandra Brooks, Medicaid Expansion advocate
Firefighter Kevin Murphy, on behalf of the Charlotte Fire Department
Captain Jeff Bright, on behalf of the Charlotte Fire Department
Senator H.M. Michaux, Jr.
Judge Shirley Fulton, North Carolina Superior Court
Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock, Appalachian State University
Chancellor Harold L. Martin, Sr., North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Jonas Swartz, MD, MPH, Duke Health
Ernestine Bryant, Brunswick County