NH Attorney General Formella wins national award for excellence

NH Attorney General John M. Formella accepts the award from Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, right, and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley (Courtesy photo)

CONCORD - The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) announced ON Tuesday that New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella has been awarded the Association's prestigious Kelley-Wyman Memorial Award, which honors the attorney general who has made the most exceptional contributions to advancing the association's mission and objectives in 2025.

"I am grateful to my colleagues for their trust and partnership and to my amazing team at the New Hampshire Department of Justice," said Formella. "This recognition belongs as much to my team as it does to me, and it reflects the collective work of attorneys general across the country and our shared commitment to problem-solving beyond politics. Serving as NAAG President reinforced my belief that when states work together, grounded in the rule of law and focused on practical solutions, we can better serve the people we represent."

Attorney General Formella received the award during the Association's annual Capital Forum in Washington, D.C. The award was presented by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley during a ceremony that coincided with the Association's presidential transition, as Attorney General Formella passed the gavel to Attorney General Tong.

The award is presented annually to the attorney general who has done the most to advance NAAG's objectives. It was originally established as the Wyman Memorial Award by former New Hampshire Attorney General Louis Wyman in memory of his father, according to a release from the Attorney Generals Office on Tuesday. It was later renamed to honor former Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley, who served from 1962 to 1999. Recipients are selected by a bipartisan panel of attorneys general.

Attorney General Formella served as NAAG President in 2025, guiding the Association through a year focused on his Presidential Initiative, Building on Opioid Litigation Success: AGs Leading the Fight Against Substance Abuse and Drug Trafficking. The initiative built on prior opioid litigation efforts and emphasized collaboration in addressing emerging threats from fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other synthetic drugs. As part of this work, Attorney General Formella hosted a national Presidential Initiative Summit in August in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, bringing together attorneys general, law enforcement officials, public health leaders, and subject-matter experts from across the country to share best practices and strengthen coordinated approaches to combating substance abuse, addiction, and drug trafficking.