For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Contact:
Nazneen Ahmed (919) 716-0060
Note: Photos of all 2021 Dogwood Award recipients are available here. Video of the awards ceremony is available here.
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein today awarded five Charlotte area leaders with the Attorney General’s Dogwood Award. The attorney general distributes these awards annually to honor North Carolinians who work to keep people safe, healthy, and happy in their communities.
The Charlotte area recipients are:
Lowe’s Home Improvement
“When the pandemic hit, we needed the business community to step up and support millions of North Carolinians who were struggling,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “Lowe’s did just that, with millions of dollars in donations to medical professionals and first responders and millions more to support small businesses and provide relief. This is the corporate leadership we needed to see, and I’m grateful to Lowe’s for providing it.”
Lowe’s Home Improvement is headquartered in Mooresville.
Kristie Puckett Williams
“Kristie is tireless in fighting to improve our criminal justice system,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “She was instrument in the passage of the Dignity for Women Who are Incarcerated Act to help protect pregnant women in our state’s jails and prisons. She’s also worked closely with our office to help advocate for fairer pretrial detention policies that don’t punish people based on the size of their bank account, and she’s worked to improve opportunities for people re-entering their communities after incarceration. We are a better state for Kristie’s commitment to justice.”
Kristie Puckett Williams is the Statewide Campaign for Smart Justice manager for the ACLU of North Carolina.
Rep. Dean Arp
“I’m grateful to Rep. Arp for helping ensure expanded access to broadband for people across North Carolina,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “These funds will be life-changing for people across our state who have struggled to have decent access to the internet – perhaps the most critical infrastructure of this century.”
Rep. Dean Arp represents District 69 (Union County) in the North Carolina House of Representatives.
Rep. Jason Saine
“Rep. Saine’s leadership in the House of Representatives has resulted in nearly $1 billion in funds to help create and strengthen broadband connections throughout the state,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “That means more people will be able to work, study, get health care, and manage their lives than ever before. I’m grateful for his leadership on this issue, which will benefit so many for years to come.”
Rep. Jason Saine represents District 97 (Lincoln County) in the North Carolina House of Representatives.
Michelle Ellis
“Ms. Ellis has been recognized nationally for her exemplary work as a science teacher,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “We owe a debt of gratitude to Ms. Ellis and teachers like her, who invest everything into their students and help countless young people expand what’s possible for them to achieve in their futures.”
Michelle Ellis is a science teacher at Hunter Huss High School in Gastonia.
The 2021 Dogwood Award recipients are:
- 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
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