A trio of local residents earned statewide recognition this week for their efforts to promote women’s health and fairness and equity in criminal justice.

Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall, Orange County medical director Erica Pettigrew, and Jenny Anand of UNC Health were among 38 North Carolinians who received the 2022 Dogwood Award from North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein.

The Dogwood Awards are given each year by the Attorney General’s office to honor “North Carolinians who help to make their communities safer, stronger, and healthier.”

Read the full statements about Woodall, Pettigrew and Anand.

Jim Woodall is the district attorney in Orange and Chatham County; he also serves with Stein on the Governor’s Task Force on Racial Equity in Criminal Justice. “Over the past two years, I’ve worked closely with District Attorney Woodall,” said Stein. “I’ve seen up close his commitment to finding solutions that keep our communities safe and create a fairer, more equal criminal justice system. He has long brought this outlook to his work as district attorney.”

In addition to her service as Orange County’s medical director, Dr. Erica Pettigrew is a physician with UNC Family Medicine; she’s also been a strong advocate for reproductive rights. “Dr. Pettigrew helps to make sure women in our state can get the medical care they need and can make the medical decisions that are best for them – as is their right,” said Stein. “She is a tireless advocate for women’s reproductive health care and freedom. Unfortunately, her work is more than important than ever.”

Jenny Anand is a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) with UNC Health; she was recognized along with two other SANEs, Lauren Schwartz of InterAct and Katherine Ariano of Duke Health. Together, Stein said, Anand, Ariano and Schwartz led an initiative “to train Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners throughout our state,” which required dozens of hours of volunteer time on top of their regular jobs.

“Thanks to their hard work, there are 38 newly-trained SANEs in North Carolina,” said Stein. “Our criminal justice system will benefit from better evidence collection, and victims of sexual assault will receive the trauma-informed care they need.”

Visit this link to see the full list of 38 recipients of the 2022 Dogwood Awards across the state.

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