Dottie Warner recognized as recipient of Tocqueville Humanitarian Award

United Way of Carlisle & Cumberland County recognized Dottie Warner (pictured left) as the recipient of the 2025 Alexis de Tocqueville Humanitarian Award at its annual reception June 17, sponsored by Dickinson College and Martson Law Offices.

Over 100 people gathered at Linwood Estates to honor Ms. Warner’s philanthropic contributions to the greater Carlisle area.

Warner was introduced by Karen Faryniak, Chief of Staff of Dickinson College. David Metz of Metz Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley, who serves as chair of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society, and Cate Mellen (pictured right), Executive Director of the United Way of Carlisle & Cumberland County, presented the award. 

The award was established in 2000 to acknowledge an individual or couple’s outstanding volunteer service to the community. The award is named for the Frenchman who traveled the United States in the early 1800s and who wrote the landmark book on American society and politics, “Democracy in America.” He highlighted the concept of Americans coming to the aid of their fellow residents.

Recent winners are Ann K. Hoffer in 2024, Hubert Gilroy in 2023, Marcia Drozdowski in 2022, Kenn & Denver Tuckey in 2021, and Don & Marjie Mowery in 2019. Paul L. Strickler was the first honoree in 2000.

Dottie is the Executive Director of Conferences & Special Events at Dickinson College. Her department is responsible for scheduling of events for internal and external clients, set-up of events and all AV support requested; and she is responsible for the coordination of the college’s large summer conference program.

Dottie is a member of the Association of Collegiate Conference & Events Directors-International, and has served in a number of capacities in that organization including their Board of Directors. In 2020 she was awarded the Mentor of the Year Award and in 2018 she was awarded the association’s highest honor, the Jack Thornton Distinguished Service Award. 

Dottie served as Dickinson’s representative on the Summerfair Board of Directors from 1989 until 2022, and during that time she has served twice as the Chair of the Board of Directors, Secretary of the Board and the logistics coordinator. She is a member of the New Hope Church of God where she serves on the Leadership Team.

Dottie’s true love and passion (other than her nieces and nephews) has been her association with United Way for more years than she can count. She says she became “hooked” when she served on a community impact panel and visited the local domestic violence shelter. The need she saw there was evident, and as she became more involved with United Way, she realized that the need there was just the tip of the iceberg. She decided to get more involved with the organization and do what she could in any way possible to address that need. She became a member of the Community Impact Committee, and currently serves as the chairman of that committee. She has also served as Co-Chair of the 2015 Campaign, a member of 100th Anniversary Committee, a member of the Women’s Leadership Council and as President, Vice-President, and Secretary of the Board of Directors. Dottie has been member of the Search Committees for the last two Executive Directors. She serves on the Campaign Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors, and she won the Outstanding Volunteer Service Award from the Women’s Leadership Council in 2015.

Dottie lives in Carlisle and is the proud aunt, great aunt and great-great aunt of many nieces and nephews whom she credits with keeping her young at heart (otherwise she would have no idea what Snapchat was!). Anyone who has ever visited her Facebook page can attest to the fact that she is very involved in whatever they are doing: sprint car racing, wrestling, baseball, softball, soccer, field hockey, ice hockey, etc. If they are participating, she is there to support them. She credits her four older brothers for providing the original eight nieces and nephews, without whom there wouldn’t have been any “greats” or “great-greats.” In addition to supporting the sporting efforts of her nieces and nephews, she is also a huge Yankees fan and enjoys watching her favorite player Aaron Judge!