Planned Parenthood South Atlantic CEO Presented With Order of the Long Leaf Pine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2024

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic CEO Presented With Order of the Long Leaf Pine

RALEIGH, N.C. – On Wednesday, August 28, the Chair of the North Carolina Council for Women presented Planned Parenthood South Atlantic President and CEO Jenny Black with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the state’s highest award for service, in recognition of her impact on the reproductive health and freedom for the people of North Carolina. 

The award was presented during the N.C. Women’s Conference hosted by the N.C. Council for Women and participating state agencies. Nearly 700 attendees, including government officials, advocates, nonprofit employees, academics, and policy advisors attended the conference to discuss pressing policy challenges and promising solutions for advancing equity and justice in North Carolina.

Statement from Annette Taylor, Chair of the North Carolina Council of Women:

“I am proud to present this prestigious award to Jenny Black, a critical partner in the movement to advance gender equity in North Carolina. In her four years of service as Chair of the Council for Women, Jenny established a powerful vision for the Council that brought us to this moment today.

Throughout her tenure at the Council for Women and at Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, she has made a profound, lasting impact on the state’s health care and political systems – fiercely defending access to health care for women, the LGBTQ+ community, and young people across the state. It is my privilege to formally recognize Jenny for her exceptional leadership on behalf of myself, Governor Cooper, and the people of North Carolina.”

Statement from Jenny Black, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic:

“As a native North Carolinian, it is one of the greatest honors of my life to be recognized by this administration. The work to make North Carolina a more equitable state is inextricably linked to the ongoing fight for affordable health care and reproductive freedom for all. Women will never be able to achieve their full potential in North Carolina without the ability to make decisions about their bodies, families, and futures. 

The fight to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and our reproductive rights cannot be waged alone. This award is not just a testament to me, but to the significant impact that Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic have had on North Carolinians’ ability to access comprehensive, affordable health care in their home state and exercise our most basic, fundamental freedoms.”

Jenny Black became President and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSAT) in 2015. Under her leadership, PPSAT expanded access to abortion care and other reproductive health services across its nine nonprofit health centers in North Carolina. While chair of the N.C. Council for Women, the Council released a four-part report series on the Status of Women in N.C. that identified obstacles women continue to face in the state and made recommendations for improving the quality of life for women, children, and families. She also led the Council’s efforts to produce a seminal report on how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated gender inequity in the state — a report that has been honored by the American Library Association as one of the “standout government documents of the year” nationwide.

Since 1963, North Carolina's governors have reserved their highest honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award, for persons who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments. Persons named to The Order become North Carolina "Ambassadors" with their names and award dates recorded on a roster maintained by The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Society.

###