- 1922 – David White, Greensboro
- 1923 – W. G. Jerome, Winston Salem
- 1924 – Frank E. Harlan, Charlotte
- 1925 – Henry T. Sharp, Durham
- 1926 – W. F. Franck, Durham
- 1927 – A. K. Moore, Sr., Greensboro
- 1928 – B. Frank Gudger, Asheville
- 1929 – C. C. Smithdeal, Sr., Winston-Salem
- 1930 – V. O. Baker, Raleigh
- 1931 – W. A. Fonvielle, Wilmington
- 1932 – James H. Carson, Charlotte
- 1933 – George P. Georghegan, Greensboro
- 1934 – Alphonsus Cobb, Durham
- 1935 – R. P. Booth, Asheville
- 1936 – J. Ivan Clendenin, Raleigh
- 1937 – H. Kapp Ogburn, Winston-Salem
- 1938 – Ed E. Mendenhall, High Point
- 1939 – S. T. Henderson, Charlotte
- 1940 – Kemp C. Clendenin, Sr., Greensboro
- 1941 – L. W. Moore, Wilmington
- 1942 – Plott Boyd, Asheville
- 1943 – Ed M. Shepherd, Winston-Salem
- 1944 – Ed V. Denton, Raleigh
- 1945 – C. E. Phillips, Sr., Durham
- 1946 – Henry Koontz, High Point
- 1947 – J. Edens Barrentine, Charlotte
- 1948 – Hoyt W. Boone, Greensboro
- 1949 – Francis B. Kemp, Reidsville
- 1950 – J. T. Chiott, Asheville
- 1951 – Paul B. Guthery, Charlotte
- 1952 – Thomas G. Hildebrandt, Durham
- 1953 – Paul G. Minish, Winston-Salem
- 1954 – Leon M. Ham, Greensboro
- 1955 – Richard A. Shew, Wilmington
- 1956 – Charles W. Bradshaw, Raleigh
- 1957 – C. E. Phillips, Jr., Durham
- 1958 – Ed L. Vinson, Charlotte
- 1959 – C. Cliff Cameron, Charlotte
- 1960 – J. Alton Stanford, High Point
- 1961 – O. I. Wrenn, Greensboro
- 1962 – Glenn M. Tucker, Raleigh
- 1963 – DeLacy E. Wyman, Charlotte
- 1964 – Joseph A. Robb, Durham
- 1965 – B. C. Parker, Jr., Burlington
- 1966 – Kemp C. Clendenin, Jr., Greensboro
- 1967 – Charles P. Landt, Raleigh
- 1968 – David L. Godwin, Fayetteville
- 1969 – Henry A. Nading, Winston-Salem
- 1970 – C. H. Touchberry, Charlotte
- 1971 – Clarence B. Beasley, New Bern
- 1972 – A. P. Carlton, Greensboro
- 1973 – Stephen R. Kenney, Raleigh
- 1974 – Thomas R. Lawing, Sr.
- 1975 – Allen D. Aldridge, Durham
- 1976 – William D. Seawell, Sr., Greensboro
- 1977 – L. David Berryhill, Jr., Charlotte
- 1978 – Zack H. Bacon, Jr., Raleigh
- 1979 – Anne M. Allen, Greensboro
- 1980 – J. Harold Craven, High Point
- 1981 – Chet Snow, Sr., Charlotte
- 1982 – A. C. Robbins, Chapel Hill
- 1983 – June Dinkins, Winston-Salem
- 1984 – Elmer Jenkins, Blowing Rock
- 1985 – Charles R. Baskerville, Jr., Asheville
- 1986 – Betsy Anne Bradshaw, Raleigh
- 1987 – Thomas H. Heffner, Chapel Hill
- 1988 – James A. Basinger, Jr., Charlotte
- 1989 – Joseph L. Clark, Greensboro
- 1990 – Wanda J. Proffitt, Burnsville
- 1991 – G. Nick Angel, Kernersville
- 1992 – Ben Ball, Morehead City
- 1993 – John Carroll, Asheville
- 1994 – John Hamrick, Durham
- 1995 – Micki Fisher, Charlotte
- 1996 – Scott Rooth, Cashiers
- 1997 – Bob Fowler, High Point
- 1998 – Ted Kelly, Winston-Salem
- 1999 – Thomas R. Lawing, Jr., Charlotte
- 2000 – Myra Zollinger, Chapel Hill
- 2001 – Bob Measamer, Fayetteville
- 2002 – William C. Bass, Asheville
- 2003 – Connie Corey, Greenville
- 2004 – Ronnie Thompson, Valdese
- 2005 – Vic Knight, Hillsborough
- 2006 – Cindy Chandler, Charlotte
- 2007 – Danny Brock, Wilmington
- 2008 – Wendell Bullard, Durham
- 2009 – Sandra O’Connor, Greensboro
- 2010 – Mary Edna Williams, Raleigh
- 2011 – Stephanie Walker, Kill Devil Hills
- 2012 – Lou Baldwin, Winston-Salem
- 2013 – Patrice Willetts, Wilmington
- 2014 – Tomp Litchfield, Washington
- 2015 – Tony Smith, Charlotte
- 2016 – Kim Dawson, Durham
- 2017 – Treasure Faircloth, Winston Salem
- 2018 – Amy Hedgecock, High Point
- 2019 – Asa Fleming, Raleigh
- 2020 – Maren Brisson-Kuester, Charlotte
- 2021 – Kelly Marks, Greensboro
- 2022 – Wendy Harris, Fayetteville
- 2023 – Leigh Brown, Concord
