Raleigh – Forty-one state employees from nine state agencies and four University of North Carolina System institutions will be honored with the Governor’s Awards for Excellence during a 2 p.m. ceremony at the North Carolina Museum of History on Tuesday, October 24.

The Governor’s Award for Excellence recognizes accomplishments and actions that are outside the usual scope of their job duties and is the highest honor a state employee may receive for dedicated service to the state and the people of North Carolina. Awards are presented in six categories: Customer Service, Efficiency and Innovation, Human Relations, Outstanding Government Service, Public Service, and Safety and Heroism.

A description of each recipient's winning qualities and videos that share their story will go live after the ceremony on the Office of State Human Resources website: https://oshr.nc.gov/2023GAE.

This annual event is made possible by funding from the State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation. The honorees attended a luncheon in the Executive Mansion before receiving their awards at a special ceremony in the auditorium of the NC Museum of History. The ceremony was hosted by ABC11 anchor Lauren Johnson. The event will feature remarks from Governor Roy Cooper and State Human Resources Director Barbara Gibson.

The 2023 Governor’s Awards for Excellence honorees include:

Customer Service:

• Grossie “Gigi” Smith-Jackson, Department of Adult Correction, Correction Enterprises (Raleigh)

Efficiency and Innovation:

• Cameron Brown and Jack Gagnon - Office of State Budget and Management (Raleigh)

• Steve Maynor - Department of Administration, Commission of Indian Affairs (Raleigh)

• Kelsey Mills - North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine (Raleigh)

• Lindsey Admire, Melanie Carson, Kristen Crawford, Tricia Daniels and Evie Nguyen - Department of Justice, Trace Evidence Section (Raleigh)

Human Relations:

• Ralph House, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Chemistry (Chapel Hill)

• Amy Wartham, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, School of Professional Studies (Charlotte)

Outstanding Government Service:

• Jacki Russell, Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Disability Determination Services (Raleigh)

• Harold Thomas - Department of Transportation, Ferry Division (Havelock)

Public Service:

• Nigel Bristow, Department of Adult Correction, Division of Community Supervision (Wadesboro)

• Bill Carlson, North Carolina State University, Materials Support Warehouse (Raleigh)

• Sandy Jacobs, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Office of Student Affairs (Pembroke)

Safety and Heroism:

• Rich Becker and William Boone, Wildlife Resources Commission, Law Enforcement Division (Raleigh)

• Autumn Burton (Kinston), Tabitha Chapman (Kinston), Brenda Edmondson (Kinston), Sabrina Edwards (Kinston), Matthew Roberts (Goldsboro), Tisha Sherrod (Kinston), Contrina Smith (Kinston) and Rasheeda Whitehurst (Kinston), Department of Health and Human Services, Caswell Developmental Center

• Dustin Durham and Chase Vaughan, Wildlife Resources Commission, Law Enforcement Division (Raleigh)

• Matt Eure and Andy Lamp, Department of Public Safety, State Highway Patrol (New Bern)

• Billy Joe Gilley (Salisbury), Susan Glover (Salisbury), Jennifer Jones (New London) and Brian Lackey (Salisbury), Department of Adult Correction, Piedmont Correctional Institution

• Kenneth Leahy, Department of Public Safety, North Carolina National Guard (Apex)

• Dalton Ledford, Department of Public Safety, State Highway Patrol (Raleigh)

• Cherletta Scott, Department of Adult Correction, Tabor Correctional Institution (Tabor City)

• Seth Stevenson, Department of Public Safety, State Highway Patrol (Statesville)

• Maylon White, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Aquariums Division (Raleigh)