The Friend of the Counties Award was created to encourage non-county persons and organizations to take significant actions that advance the interests of counties and the association. Any person or organization in North Carolina or the United States who or which is not directly associated with North Carolina county government or the NCACC is eligible to receive the award.
Selection shall be made each year by the NCACC president after consultation with the NCACC executive officers. The award shall be presented at the association’s annual conference each year.
Friend of the Counties Award Recipients
| Year | Recipient | |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | North Carolina Representatives Becky Carney (Mecklenburg) and Carolyn Justice (Pender) | |
| 2006 | North Carolina Representatives Bill Owens (Pasquotank) and Wilma Sherrill (Buncombe) | |
| 2007 | All members of the General Assembly | |
| 2008 | Ralph W Ketner | |
| 2009 | Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) President Maurice Smith | |
| 2010 | North Carolina Representative Angela Bryant (Nash) | |
| 2013 | State Sen. Jim Davis (Macon County) | |
| 2014 | Dr. Joe Zublena, Cooperative Extension Director | |
| 2015 | Rep. Chuck McGrady (Henderson County) and Rep. Howard J. Hunter III (Hertford County) | |
| 2016 | David Baker, North Carolina Department of Revenue | |
| 2017 | Michael Sprayberry, Director, NC Emergency Management | |
| 2018 | Robert Ingram, GlaxoSmithKline | |
| 2019 | Dr. Mike Yoder and Ms. Sarah Kotzian, North Carolina 4-H Youth Development | |
| 2021 | Hattie Gawande, NC DHHS | |
| 2022 | Greg Hobbs, Hobbs Properties; NC House Senior Appropriations Chairs: Representatives Dean Arp, Donny Lambeth, and Jason Saine; NC Senate Senior Appropriations Chairs: Senators Kathy Harrington, Ralph Hise, and Brent Jackson | |
| 2023 | Will Ray, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Director of Emergency Management |