By james art Two of the area’s sheriffs and a former congressman who long represented Orange County are among the latest North Carolinians to be recognized with a statewide award.
The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office shared its annual Dogwood Award winners last week, which are given to individuals working to “improve the health, safety and welfare of their fellow North Carolinians.” Triangle region recipients included Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson, Durham County Sheriff Clarence Burkhead and former U.S. Congressman and Chapel Hill resident David Price.
Roberson has served as Chatham County Sheriff since being appointed in 2016, while Burkhead was first elected in 2018. Each has served in state leadership positions during their terms, with Roberson serving as the Association’s president of Sheriffs in North Carolina, and Burkhead contributes to the state’s Task Force on Racial Equity in Criminal Justice. Attorney General Josh Stein praised both men in a news release about the award, saying he appreciates each of their leadership, law enforcement work and cooperation with his office.
“The people of Chatham County are better off because of Sheriff Roberson’s leadership,” Stein said. “He has been a strong partner in several of my office’s initiatives to make North Carolinians safer, including our work to attract and retain community-minded law enforcement officers.”
“I have known Sheriff Burkhead for years,” the attorney general added, “and I had an idea of how much he cared about protecting the people of Durham County. I am grateful for his work to help strengthen the law enforcement profession and bring justice to sexual assault survivors.
“I am honored to receive the Dogwood Award and proud to stand alongside the many dedicated North Carolinians who work to make our communities safer and stronger,” Sheriff Roberson said in the release. “This recognition reflects the collective efforts of the men and women of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office and our shared commitment to service.”
“As Sheriff of Durham County, I often say that everything we do is about saving lives – whether in the jail or in our communities,” said Sheriff Burkhead. “This is my life’s work. I am both humbled and honored that these efforts have been recognized as the recipient of Attorney General Josh Stein’s Dogwood Award.”
Meanwhile, Price served more than 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislator for North Carolina’s Fourth Congressional District, which often included Orange and Durham counties. A longtime educator in addition to his work as a congressman, he will retire from public service in 2023.
“David Price has dedicated decades of his life to public service for North Carolina,” Stein said. “He fights for public education, better infrastructure, affordable housing and protection for our most vulnerable people. His expertise in the federal budget has had a tremendous impact on the people of North Carolina.
Other Central North Carolina recipients of the 2024 Dogwood Award include: Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame; SBI Agent Kevin Roughton; Johnston County District Attorney Susan Doyle; Durham County Ontario Joyner Re-Entry Council Coordinator; Lars Paul of the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition; Durham Public Schools bus driver Deanna Washington; and a student from North Carolina and Ethan Clark of the North Carolina Weather Service.
Stein’s office created the Dogwood Awards in 2017. To see past winners and more winners from 2024, visit the Attorney General’s Office website.
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