Governor Roy Cooper presented Senior Resident Superior Court Judge L. Todd Burke with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine during a ceremony held on February 1, 2020. Judge Burke was honored with this award for his 25 years of service as a superior court judge for the 21st Judicial District, which serves Forsyth County.

“It’s an incredible honor to receive the Order of the Long Leaf Pine,” said Judge Burke. “But it’s been an even greater honor to serve Forsyth County communities as their senior resident superior court judge, a position I hold with dedication and humility.”

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is an award given by the State of North Carolina to public servants who have shown extraordinary service to the state. It is the highest award for state service granted by the Office of the Governor.

Judge Burke is a graduate of Morehouse College and North Carolina Central University School of Law. Upon graduation from law school, Judge Burke was hired as a prosecutor before going into private practice. In December 1994, Governor Jim Hunt appointed Judge Burke to the superior court bench, at the time serving as the youngest resident superior court judge in the state. Over the past 25 years, Judge Burke has been known for his commitment to provide drug awareness in his community, his work in supporting young people, and for his creative sentencing. Judge Burke currently serves as the senior resident superior court judge in Judicial District 21.