National Federation of Republican Women
Presents Reagan Award to North Carolina GOP Leader

State Federation President Receives Honor at National Convention

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) presented the 2011 Ronald Reagan Leadership Award to North Carolina Republican leader Dena Barnes during its 36th biennial convention in Kansas City, Mo.

A resident of Summerfield and president of the North Carolina Federation of Republican Women (NCFRW), Barnes received the award at a luncheon on Oct. 2. The award was established by the NFRW in 2005 to recognize the outstanding leadership of one state president and is presented every two years at the biennial convention.

Barnes and four other state presidents were selected as finalists based on overall leadership and initiation of new programs, increases in membership, participation in national programs, and excellence in public relations and campaign efforts.

Under Barnes’ leadership, NCFRW increased membership by 20 percent, chartered 11 clubs and took a leading role in raising statewide public awareness and grassroots support for a law requiring photo identification to vote. Through this effective issue advocacy program, NCFRW passed resolutions at the club level and forwarded them to their state representatives, and gathered more than 15,000 voter signatures on petitions that were delivered to the new Republican majorities in the state house and senate. Barnes is the former mayor of Summerfield, having served on the town council since 1997, and is currently mayor pro tem. She is married to Guilford County Sheriff B.J. Barnes.

Founded in 1938, the NFRW has thousands of active members in local clubs across the nation and in several U.S. territories, making it one of the largest women’s political organizations in the country. The grassroots organization works to promote the principles and objectives of the Republican Party, elect Republican candidates, inform the public through political education and activity, and increase the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government.

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