FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Anne Little, Director
City of Salisbury Community Engagement
(704) 638-5218
anne.little@salisburync.gov
2026 Dr. Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Humanitarian Award Recipients Named
SALISBURY, N.C. (Tuesday, May 26, 2026) – The Salisbury Human Relations Commission (HRC) is pleased to announce the 2026 Elizabeth Duncan Koontz (EDK) Humanitarian Award recipients. This year’s honorees are Rev. Dr. Debra Ellison, Mrs. Elia Gegorek, Ms. Betty Jo Hardy, Ms. Lovetta Moore and Mrs. Mary Rosser. They will be honored at a special program on Thursday, May 28.
Rev. Dr. Debra “Dee” Ellison is the pastor of At The Cross ministries where she leads community outreach efforts that include a food pantry, health ministries, and partnerships supporting underserved communities. She leads the Interdenominational Ministries Fellowship of Rowan, Project Cover and works with Bread Riot and other organizations.
Elia Gregorek was nominated for her community involvement with organizations including Meals on Wheels Rowan, the Rowan-Salisbury Realtors Association and the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce’s Minority Business Council. She founded the nonprofit El Centro de la Comunidad Latina which promotes programs and events supporting the Hispanic community.
Betty Jo Hardy currently serves on the board of Art and Soul Rowan, Salisbury Rowan Church Women United and Rise Up Rowan, a faith-based group working to ensure educational success for children of all races. She has served on the executive committee of Actions in Faith and Justice since its inception.
Lovetta Moore is a retired teacher recognized for impact on students and involvement in the community. A member of the Delta Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she serves as a literacy tutor with the Salisbury Literacy Council and is a member of Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church where she has been Sunday School superintendent and teacher, director of vacation bible school, and coordinator of programs.
Mary Rosser was part of a small group who worked to create a community bike shop in Salisbury. The vision became reality with the opening of The Pedal Factory in October 2015 and continues to fulfill the mission of making bicycles accessible to all through youth programs, bike education, community rides, outreach events and bicycle advocacy. She has also helped oversee The Pedal Factory’s Earn-A-Bike program, which gives individuals of all ages the opportunity to earn and maintain their own bicycles and teaches responsibility and bicycle safety.
The award is named in memory of Dr. Elizabeth “Libby” Duncan Koontz who was one of the organizers who re-established the Human Relations Council in 1985. The Human Relations Commission (HRC) sponsors this event annually to recognize community members and/or organizations who have made important contributions to improving local human relations.
The mission of the HRC is to create an environment of hospitality, acceptance, and appreciation of all people. Members are appointed by the City Council. For more information about the HRC, visit salisburync.gov/hrc.
The City of Salisbury is located in the heart of the Piedmont region of North Carolina, midway between Charlotte and Greensboro. Salisbury is the county seat of Rowan County, and provides a full range of municipal services, including law enforcement, fire service protection, zoning and code enforcement and water and sewer systems. For more information regarding the City of Salisbury and its services and departments, please visit us on the web at www.salisburync.gov. To receive updates regarding local initiatives, meetings, programs and events, please follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CitySalisburyNC