2021 Governor’s Awards for Excellence Presented to 39 State Employees
Thirty-nine state employees from 10 state agencies and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill are recipients of the 2021 Governor’s Awards for Excellence, the highest honor a state employee may receive for dedicated service to the state and the people of North Carolina. The commendations were announced during a virtual online ceremony that may be viewed anytime.
“The selfless achievements of this year’s group absolutely merit this high honor,” said State Human Resources Director Barbara Gibson, who joined Governor Roy Cooper in commending recipients for excellent work and personal contributions amid the challenges of the ongoing pandemic. “They represent our highest aspirations in meeting the needs of people across our state.”
The Governor’s Awards for Excellence recognize accomplishments and actions that are outside of the usual scope of their job duties. Awards are presented in six categories: Customer Service, Efficiency and Innovation, Human Relations, Outstanding Government Serve, Public Service, and Safety and Heroism. This year’s recipients include a 23-member team that created a robust telehealth solution for offenders at the state’s prison system at the Department of Public Safety.
A description of each recipient's winning qualities and a video that shares their story will go live at 11 a.m. on the OSHR website, www.oshr.nc.gov/GAE2021. This annual event is made possible by funding from the State Employees Credit Union Foundation. The ceremony was hosted by WRAL/Fox50 anchor Ken Smith.
The 2021 Governor’s Awards for Excellence honorees are based in Wake County unless otherwise noted:
Customer Service
Robert Montague: Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Forest Service Division (Granville/Vance counties)
Chantal Taunton: Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, NC Museum of Art Park
Efficiency and Innovation:
Eric Turon: Department of Environmental Quality, Facilities Engineering (Clayton)
Michael Ware: Departments of Information Technology and Environmental Quality, Chief Information Officer
Jan Weems: Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, NC Museum of Natural Sciences Virtual Learning Studio
Telehealth Team: Department of Public Safety, Adult Corrections, Healthcare Administration, Information Technology, Prisons Health & Wellness, and Facilities:
Joy Baugham (Roanoke Rapids)
Felicia Byrd
Terri Catlett (Franklinton)
Suresh Challapalli
Anne Childress
Rusty Cuthrell
Melissa Earp (Mebane)
Chris Fuquay
Greg Heath (Greensboro)
Ed Lawson (Spring Hope)
Timothy Moose (Lillington)
Natasha Muller (Lumberton)
Hung Nguyen
Sarmad Hashim
Justin Johnson
Jerrell Jordan
Wrenn Patterson
Glenn Mack
Leah Preciado
Saleem Rao
Heather Sullivan (Clayton)
John Woodlock (Goldsboro)
Jay Zhang
Human Relations:
Terry Albrecht: Department of Environmental Quality, Environmental Assistance and Customer Service (Asheville)
Terri Grant-Boyd: Department of Health and Human Services: Murdoch Developmental Center (Butner)
Cindy Moore-Bridges: Department of Public Safety, Correctional Housing (Elizabeth City)
Outstanding Government Service:
Katie Bowler Young: UNC Chapel Hill, Global Partnerships and Programs
Robert Remini: Department of Transportation, Incident Management Assistance Patrol (IMAP; Greensboro)
Public Service:
Master Trooper Bennie Grady: Department of Public Safety, State Highway Patrol (Wayne County)
DeWarren Brandon Watson: Department of State Treasurer, Financial Operations
Melissa Miller: UNC Medical Center
Safety and Heroism:
Darryl Johnson: Department of Transportation, IMAP
Kelly Sellers: Department of Transportation, IMAP (Brunswick County)
Anthony “Tony” Wait: Wildlife Resources Commission, Wildlife Conservation Specialist (Madison County)
