Nominations open for 2026 Charles Brown Award
July 22, 2026
Nominations are now open for the annual Charles Brown Award, given to a dedicated Salem citizen who helps improve the quality of life in Salem.
To nominate someone for this year’s award, fill out the form at this link. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Oct. 30.
The award was named in honor of Charles Brown, the first dean of Roanoke College and the former mayor of Salem. The award is presented each year to an outstanding Salem resident who has made a meaningful contribution to the quality of life in Salem. Nominees must be Salem residents.
The award will be presented at the college's annual Salem Appreciation Breakfast, which will be held Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, at 8 a.m. in the Colket Center's Wortmann Ballroom.
The 2025 Charles Brown Award was presented to Thomas E. Bowers for his leadership and unwavering devotion to Salem through his service as Salem’s commonwealth’s attorney, a Rotarian, a YMCA board member and an adjunct professor at Roanoke College.
Recent recipients of the award include Herman Reavis (2011), Sally Southard (2012), Bob Rotanz (2013), Carey Harveycutter (2014), Joan Dorsey (2014), Dr. J. Burks Logan (2015), William "Bill" Sinkler (2015), John Hildebrand (2016), Diane Washenberger (2017), Eric "Ric" Atkins (2017), Forest Jones (2017), David Turk (2017), James Bryant (2018), Regine Archer (2019), Lisa Bain (2021), Laura Tucker (2022), Dr. Tommy Barber (2023) and Teresa Sizemore (2024).