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)