Friends,
As we gather with this week with family and friends, it is a good time to reflect on the things we're thankful for.
For me, that list includes my wife, kids, and family, good health, and the opportunity to serve as your Attorney General.
One benefit of serving as Attorney General is that I am blessed to meet countless numbers of individuals who are committed to making our state a better place.
Earlier this week, I awarded 22 North Carolinians Dogwood Awards, and I thanked each recipient for his or her hard work to keep our communities safe, eliminate our state's backlog of untested sexual assault kits, confront the opioid epidemic, protect people's access to health care, preserve our natural resources, and improve our criminal justice system.
• Dr. Wanda Boone, Together for Resilient Youth, Durham
• Dr. Mark Bowling, Vidant Health, Greenville
• Tom Brewer, President, Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics Association of North Carolina, Charlotte
• Sen. Danny Britt, Columbus and Robeson County
• Sec. 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
• Rep. 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