Western North Carolinians Honored with Attorney General Josh Stein’s Dogwood Award

November 26th, 2019

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, November 26, 2019

(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein today announced that Casey Cooper, CEO, Cherokee Indian Hospital, Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman, Franklin Mayor Bob Scott, and Highlands Mayor Patrick Taylor have received 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.

Casey Cooper

“Casey Cooper is showing a strong commitment to keeping the Cherokee people safe and healthy day in and day out,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “I appreciate his work to further chronic disease prevention and health education.”

Casey Cooper, BSN, MBA, FACHE, is the Chief Executive Officer of Cherokee Indian Hospital. Casey has devoted his career to American Indian health care. Throughout his tenure among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Casey has worked as a primary care nurse, community health nurse, nurse educator, and nursing manager.

Sheriff Alan Norman

“Sheriff Alan Norman is doing important work to protect public safety in Cleveland County,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “From his commitment to keeping people safe from sex abuse to his tireless work to hold the dealers and traffickers who profit from people’s addiction accountable, I appreciate his leadership.”

Sheriff Alan Norman is currently serving his third term as Cleveland County’s sheriff. A second generation law enforcement officer, Sheriff Norman has worked in law enforcement for more than 35 years.

“It is a shame that sex offenders prey on our children and society,” said Sheriff Alan Norman. “Both are our future and it is my job to make sure that the public is informed of sex offenders within Cleveland County.”

Sheriff Norman also added: “As long as I am Sheriff, we will continue to aggressively go after not only the street dealer, but all the way up the chain to the importer, in an attempt to make our community drug free, which lowers the crime rate. I humbly accept the Dogwood Award on behalf of the men and women I work with.”

Mayors Bob Scott and Patrick Taylor

“Mayors Bob Scott and Patrick Taylor were extremely helpful to my office and me as we worked to negotiate the best deal for health care in western North Carolina,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “My office conducted an extensive review of the Mission/HCA transfer and Mayor Scott and Mayor Taylor provided extremely helpful on-the-ground insight throughout that process. I appreciate their leadership in standing up to protect the people they serve and their health care.”

A native of Greenville, SC, Mayor Bob Scott has lived in Franklin since 1967. He is a graduate of Western Carolina University, the FBI National Academy and Palmetto Military Academy, and the South Carolina National Guard’s Officer Candidate School. He retired from the Western Carolina University Campus Police Department where he served as executive officer. Mayor Scott currently serves as a Director of the North Carolina League of Municipalities.

“I am humbled to receive this award,” said Mayor Bob Scott. “However, I am receiving it on behalf of the men and women of Franklin, Highlands, and Macon County who stood with Mayor Pat Taylor of Highlands and Barrett Hawks of Highlands and myself, in making sure we were not short changed in the Mission/HCA deal. Also, my heartfelt thanks that General Stein stood with us and listened to our concerns.”

Mayor Patrick Taylor has been the mayor of Highlands since 2013. He has also served as a magistrate of the North Carolina 30^th Judicial District. Prior to that, he taught art at the high school and collegiate levels. He is also a highly regarded potter. Mayor Taylor has degrees from Valdosta State University and the University of Georgia.

“It is an honor to be a recipient of a Dogwood Award,” said Mayor Patrick Taylor. “I was a part of the team that advocated for the interest of the small hospitals in outlying service areas during the recent Asset Purchase Agreement between Hospital Corporation of America and Mission Healthcare. Mayor Bob Scott of Franklin and Barrett Hawks of Highlands were important partners in this team effort. I appreciate the leadership and vision of Attorney General Stein and his staff in approving this major purchase with provisions that will insure continued healthcare access to the citizens of Western North Carolina. While there is still work to be done in developing health care access for all, this transaction was an important step and a model for the entire state.”

A full list of 2019 Dogwood Award Recipients is below:

Wanda Boone, Together for Resilient Youth, Durham
Mark Bowling, 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