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Six distinguished North Carolinians were presented the North Carolina Award, the state’s highest honor, by Governor Roy Cooper during a Nov. 15 ceremony at the North Carolina Museum of Art. The award recognizes significant lifetime achievements in the areas of fine arts, literature, public service and science.

The 2022 honorees are the Honorable Eva Clayton for Public Service, Honorable Mickey Michaux for Public Service, Eric Church for Fine Arts, David Zucchino for Literature, Dr. Stanley Riggs for Science and Dr. Priya Kishnani for Science.

Governor Roy Cooper announced today that six traditional artists from across the state will receive North Carolina Heritage Awards on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for their contributions to our state’s cultural vitality.

The state’s highest civilian honor, the North Carolina Award, will be presented to six distinguished North Carolinians Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Governor Roy Cooper will present the awards. 

The award was created by the General Assembly in 1961 to recognize significant contributions to the state and nation in the fields of fine arts, literature, public service and science. 

The North Carolina American Indian Heritage Commission will hold its first meeting Friday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. in the auditorium of the Archives and History/State Library Building, 109 E.

Tyson Phillips will be the first superintendent of Pisgah View State Park, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. The park was authorized in 2019, but the lands will remain closed to the public while the park is planned, facilities are constructed and staff is hired. The Division estimates that the lands will open as a state park in 2025.

Located in Buncombe and Haywood counties in the town of Candler, the site of the future state park is just 16 miles southwest of Asheville.

Matt Haynes is the new park superintendent at Bob's Creek State Natural Area in McDowell County, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. He is the first superintendent of the natural area, which was authorized in 2017.

Haynes served as a park ranger at Hanging Rock State Park for nine years before a promotion to advanced ranger at Chimney Rock, where he also served for nine years. During his time as a ranger, he periodically acted as superintendent and was the lead natural resources ranger.

N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary D. Reid Wilson announces the appointments of Kerry Bird as director and Quinn Godwin as associate director of the newly created North Carolina American Indian Heritage Commission.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Vonda Martin is the new division of parks and recreation grants and outreach manager, the division announced Friday. Martin succeeds Chris Schmidt, who has served as interim grants and outreach manager since 2018.

The grants and outreach manager supervises the program and staff who administer the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF), the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and development of the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.

Joe Shimel is the new east district superintendent of North Carolina state parks, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. Shimel succeeds Sarah Kendrick, who served as acting superintendent beginning in 2020. Kendrick will return to her post as superintendent of Hammocks Beach State Park.

A district superintendent is the chief of operations and administration of a park district with wide-ranging responsibilities for staffing, planning, law enforcement, and visitor services.