Two Wilmington Area Individuals Honored with Attorney General Josh Stein’s Dogwood Award

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Contact: Laura Brewer (919)  716-6484

NOTE: Pictures available here.

(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein today announced that District Attorney Ben David and Rep. Carson Smith have been awarded 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.

District Attorney Ben David

“Ben David has been a strong partner in my work to confront the opioid epidemic, test sexual assault kits, and promote racial equity in criminal justice,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “His emphasis on work to protect victims of domestic violence and to serve families of crime victims underscore the common thread of all his work: helping keep families safe.”

District Attorney Ben David has served as district attorney in New Hanover and Pender counties since 2004.

Rep. Carson Smith

“The untested sexual assault kits in local law enforcement custody around the state is one of the greatest threats to public safety in North Carolina,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “Rep. Carson Smith was a strong proponent of the Survivor Act, legislation that funded testing these kits. I am proud to work alongside him to bring justice to victims of sexual assault and make North Carolina safer.”

Rep. Carson Smith represents District 16 in the North Carolina House of Representatives.

A full list of the 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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