Special thanks to
the 2012 Spectrum of Democracy sponsors

Premium Sponsors
Table Sponsors
	Farah & Cammarano, P.A.
Host Sponsors
David Beck (In memory of Robert C. Beck)	Rep. Grier and Louise Martin
Ken Melton & Associates	Elaine Whitford

The N.C. Center for Voter Education was pleased to honor the following recipients of the 2012 Spectrum of Democracy Awards at a dinner event in downtown Raleigh on Feb. 23. We greatly appreciate the attendees and sponsors for making the 3rd annual event a tremendous success and we are profoundly grateful to the honorees for their vital contributions to North Carolina's democracy.

Meet this year's award recipients:

Jack Betts – Robert Morgan Service Award

Jack Betts retired last year after a career spanning four decades as a journalist writing on North Carolina politics, first for the Greensboro News & Record and later the Charlotte Observer. Betts' thoughtful, fair and in-depth coverage of public policy, government and elections provided refreshing insight into the workings of democracy for citizens across the state.

Betts is the 2012 recipient of the Robert Morgan Service Award, named after former U.S. Sen. Robert Morgan, who served as founding president of the N.C. Center for Voter Education.

Judy Caudill – Outstanding Public Servant

In March of 2011, Judy Caudill retired after 42 years of service to the people of Lincoln County as their elections director. State Board of Elections Director Gary Bartlett called Caudill "the matriarch" of North Carolina elections for her longtime dedication to fair and open elections in Lincoln County.

Ricky McDevitt – Outstanding Citizen

Ricky McDevitt is a longtime civics and government teacher at Madison High School in Madison County, where he has been named that county's teacher of the year. McDevitt's energetic teaching style and highly engaging classes have brought American history to life and made politics relevant to thousands of North Carolina students.

WRAL – Outstanding Media Organization

With the dedicated work of technical crew and reporters such as Capitol Bureau Chief Laura Leslie, WRAL has been a leading source for televised and online coverage of state and local politics. In 2011, WRAL.com provided extensive live video streaming of key legislative sessions and committee meetings, giving citizens across the state a first-hand, unfiltered look inside their General Assembly.

Meet last year's award recipients here.