2019 Green Tie Awards

2019 Representative of the Year - Robert T. Reives

Rep. Reives was one of just 31 legislators out of 170 who earned a perfect score on NCLCV’s legislative scorecard for the 2017 and 2018 sessions. He was a recipient of our Rising Star Award in 2015, after having led the fight against fracking in his first session. He proved he was in fact a Rising Star by becoming the House Deputy Democratic Leader, and continuing his vocal opposition to the countless attacks on the environment. Reives is among the most passionate and eloquent advocates for every North Carolinians right to clean air, clean water, and clean energy.

2019 Senator of the Year - Valerie Foushee

There has been little legislation to applaud coming out

of the state Senate in recent years, but Sen. Foushee has fought every step of the way to protect North Carolina’s valuable natural resources. Whether fighting against hog waste or GenX, Foushee is always on the right side of history, and her lifetime 95% on our scorecard proves it. A Rising Star recipient the year before Reives, this is not Foushee’s first Green Tie Award, and will likely not be her last.

2019 Defender of the Environment - Rep. Darren Jackson

The House Democratic Leader for the last several sessions, Rep. Jackson received our Rising Star Award in 2011. He has been instrumental in holding the line against the worst anti-environmental bills—no small feat in the current political landscape. Jackson has been heavily involved in the formation of our Green Caucus. Following the 2020 election, Jackson’s leadership will take another step forward as NCLCV works to make the Green Caucus the pro-conservation majority our state needs.

2019 Catalyst Award - Dr. Charles “Pete” Peterson

Dr. Peterson is an interdisciplinary conservation ecologist with expertise in both the traditional academic realm and in the policymaking world. A former member of several state commissions, including the Marine Fisheries Commission and the Environmental Management Commission, his work at UNC’s Institute of Marine Sciences has provided fuel for legislative and administrative rulemaking for decades. From the impacts of climate change and sea level rise to shoreline hardening to oysters and muscles, Dr. Peterson has been a strong voice for our coasts and our state.

2019 Catalyst Award - Lisa Sorg

NC Policy Watch’s Sorg is North Carolina’s leading investigative reporter on environmental issues, getting to the root of polluters’ worst practices. With limited transparency, the General Assembly often puts polluters over people. Sorg’s work calls out both elected officials and polluters. Her work, from environmental justice to coal ash, climate change to GenX, raises awareness on environmental issues, and brings complex questions to the forefront, inspiring everyday North Carolinians to action.

2019 Jane Sharp Lifetime Achievement Award - Dick Bierly

Dick Bierly receives this award posthumously for his tireless and inspiring advocacy for North Carolina’s coast. He recently passed away after a long association with NCLCV, NC Coastal Federation, and other environmental organizations. A Republican, he believed protecting the environment should not be claimed by Democrats or Republicans. He recognized the issues he cared so deeply for went hand in hand with good business, and helped hold decision-makers accountable to both. DIck played a key role in NCLCV’s non-partisan political approach. Before “retiring” to Morehead City in 1992 and starting a new career as an environmentalist, Dick worked much of his career for IBM, where one of his earliest roles was the first Director of Equal Opportunity.

Keynote Speaker – Donna F. Edwards

Donna F. Edwards served 5 terms (2008- 2017) in the United States House of Representatives, becoming the first African American woman to represent Maryland.

Congresswoman Edwards was born in Yanceyville, North Carolina, grew up in a military family, and lived in every region of the country and internationally. She earned

her J.D. from the University of New Hampshire School of Law and her B.A. from Wake Forest University. Edwards completed her final year of study at the University of Salamanca, Spain. She is the mother of one adult son.

As a nonprofit executive, Congresswoman Edwards co-founded and led the National Network to End Domestic Violence, spearheading the effort to pass the Violence

Against Women Act in 1994. She was the executive director of the Arca Foundation and Center for a New Democracy and was a tireless advocate for Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy non-profit organization. Congresswoman Edwards has served on numerous nonprofit boards in various capacities from treasurer to chair. She currently serves on the Profiles in Courage Awards Committee of the John F. Kennedy Library and as a trustee of Wake Forest University. An honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, she serves on the board of their National Education Foundation.

In Congress, Edwards served on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Committee on Standards and Official Conduct, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, and the Committee on Science, Space and Technology, serving as the lead Democrat on the Subcommittee on Space. Congresswoman Edwards was a member of the Democratic leadership team as co-chair of the House Democrat’s Steering and Policy Committee.

Following her service in Congress, Edwards set out on a cross country motorhome adventure, logging 12,000 miles camping, hiking and fishing throughout the United States. Congresswoman Edwards provides political commentary in print, electronic and cable media and serves as the Senior Advisor to the Bauman Foundation. Edwards is a contributing columnist for The Washington Post.

Most recently, Edwards has been named a 2019 Distinguished Alumni from Wake Forest University. Wake Forest President, Nathan Hatch, said “Edwards’ public service and advocacy for the rights of others embodies the spirit of our motto, Pro Humanitate – for humanity.”