Governor's Awards for Excellence

Nominations for the 2021 Governor's Awards for Excellence are open from Feb. 15 - April 15
The Governor's Award for Excellence is the highest honor a state employee may receive for dedicated service to the State of North Carolina and its citizens. The award gives us an opportunity to recognize exemplary state employees whose service and contributions go beyond the call of duty and make a positive difference in the lives of their fellow North Carolinians.
The Governor's Awards for Excellence Program is designed to acknowledge and express appreciation for outstanding accomplishments that do not fall entirely within the scope of normal duties but are in the nature of a major contribution reflecting credit on the person and State service. The meritorious service or accomplishment is so singularly outstanding that special recognition is justified.
Employees are nominated for the award by other state employees including their supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates. Read the Governor's Awards for Excellence Policy for more information.
Qualifying Employees
Nominees must be permanent state employees and include:
- Employees who have a permanent appointment, including the managerial and administrative levels such as:
- Deputy and Assistant Department Heads
- Division Directors
- Deputy and Assistant Directors of major divisions in the larger departments
- Key assistants to the Department Head or University Chancellor who exert major policy influence.
Employees not eligible
- Elected officials, Department Heads, and University Chancellors
- Employees of the public school system or Community Colleges
- Employees of the Judicial Branch
- Employees of the General Assembly
Award Categories
Awards are presented in seven categories:
- Customer Service – Provided exceptional service that left the customer fully satisfied with their experience. Exceeded expectations to meet the needs of the customer. Added value to the customer experience.
- Efficiency & Innovation – Improved the efficiency of state government services. Established new and/or improved methods, practices, plans or designs resulting in innovation, savings and/or efficiencies. This is an ideal area to nominate an employee who has thought of and implemented an employee suggestion that has proven successful.
- Human Relations – Made outstanding contributions toward enhancing the quality and morale of the workplace or creating a better public image of state government (such as positive personal interaction with other employees; public awareness; working on relations internally within an agency; or collaboration between different agencies).
- Outstanding State Government Service – Exhibited unselfish devotion to duty far and above the normal requirements and contributed significantly to the advancement of state service to the citizens of North Carolina.
- Public Service – Made outstanding contributions by participating in or implementing community and public service projects (such as volunteering with various non-profit organizations).
- Safety and Heroism – Demonstrated outstanding judgment or courage in an emergency, voluntarily risking his/her life or exhibited meritorious action to prevent injury, loss of life or prevented damage to or loss of property.
- Spirit of North Carolina – Exemplified the state motto “To be, rather than to seem.” Mentored others in the pursuit of excellence. Served as an ambassador for the State of North Carolina. This special award is reserved for exceptional circumstances and for accomplishments and achievements of the highest caliber.
Nomination Checklist
Online Submission Checklist
- Employee’s name, home address and position title
- Employee’s basic job description
- Employee’s supervisor’s name, email, and phone number
- Agency/University Coordinator name and email address
- A written a summary of why this employee is being nominated. The summary should be a minimum of 350 words but can be longer if needed.
- Category you are submitting this nominee for consideration
- Consent from the nominee’s supervisor. The supervisor must be made aware of your intent to nominate the employee before you complete the nomination form.
Once you have this information ready, you are all set to begin the online nomination!
Number of Submissions Allowed Per Agency University
Number of Employees | Number of Nominations |
---|---|
Less than 300 employees | 3 |
300-1,999 employees | 6 |
2,000-10,000 employees | 8 |
More than 10,000 employees | 12 |
GAE Agency/University Coordinators
Agency/University | Coordinator | |
Administration | Stephanie Bryant | stephanie.bryant@doa.nc.gov |
Agriculture | Nicole Houghton | Nicole.Houghton@ncagr.gov |
Appalachian State | Holly Turlington | turlingtonhd@appstate.edu |
Auditor | Lauren Eiswirth | lauren_eiswirth@ncauditor.net |
Commerce | Deborah O’Neal | doneal@nccommerce.com |
Community Colleges | Jessica Richardson | richardsonj@nccommunitycolleges.edu |
Natural and Cultural Resources | Tammy Penny | tammy.penny@ncdcr.gov |
East Carolina University | Justin Yeaman | Yeamanj16@ecu.edu |
Elizabeth City State University | Tanisha Brumsey | tfbrumsey@mail.ecsu.edu |
Paula Bowe | pgbowe@ecsu.edu | |
Department of Environmental Quality | Megan Church | Megan.church@ncdenr.gov |
Fayetteville State | Debbie Disbrow | ddisbrow@unc.fsu.edu |
Health & Human Services | Felicia Lacy | Felicia.lacy@dhhs.nc.gov |
Information Technology Services | Evangeline Phillips | Evangeline.phillips@nc.gov |
Insurance | Amy Tyndall | Amy.Tyndall@ncdoi.gov |
Justice | Kendra Schum | kschum@ncdoj.gov |
Labor | Beth Benson | Beth.benson@labor.nc.gov |
Military & Veterans Affairs | Creshaye Graham | creshaye.graham@nc.gov |
NC A & T | Linda Mangum | lmangum@ncat.edu |
NC Central University | Keesha Judd | Keesha.judd@nccu.edu |
NC Lottery | Van Denton | Robert.denton@lotterync.net |
NC State University | Britt Hurst | Britt_hurst@ncsu.edu |
Office of Administrative Hearings | Angeline Hariston | Angeline.hariston@oah.nc.gov |
Office of the Governor | Karen Cheek | Karen.cheek@nc.gov |
Office of State Budget & Management | Melissa Sincebaugh | Melissa.sincebaugh@osbm.nc.gov |
Office of State Controller | Glenda Ellerbee | Glenda.ellerbee@osc.nc.gov |
Office of State Human Resources | Karen Cheek | Karen.cheek@nc.gov |
Public Instruction | Steven Oberhausen | Steven.oberhausen@dpi.nc.gov |
Public Safety | Margaret Ekam | Margaret.ekam@ncdps.gov |
Barbara Revels | Barbara.revels@ncdps.gov | |
Revenue | Angelina Harvey | Angelina.harvey@ncdor.gov |
Secretary of State | Margaret Reader | mreader@sosnc.gov |
School of Science & Math | Jaime Kelsky | jaime.kelsky@ncssm.edu |
Transportation | Dennis Franz | djfranz@ncdot.gov |
Treasurer | Debra Thomas | Debra.Thomas@nctreasurer.com |
UNC – Asheville | Karla Piccirillo | kpicciri@unca.edu |
UNC – Chapel Hill | Jessica Pyjas | Jessica_pyjas@unc.edu |
UNC – Charlotte | Cindy Edwards | ckedward@uncc.edu |
UNC System Office | Kathy Bryant | kwbryant@northcarolina.edu |
UNC – Greensboro | Sarah Alston | S_alston@uncg.edu |
UNC – Pembroke | Sheila Hardee | Sheila.hardee@uncp.edu |
UNC – School of the Arts | Kemora Brownlee | brownleek@uncsa.edu |
UNC – Wilmington | Michel Shackelford | shackelfordm@uncw.edu |
Western Carolina University | Cory Causby | causby@email.wcu.edu |
Wildlife Resources Commission | Patricia Barnes | Patricia.barnes@ncwildlife.org |
Winston Salem State University | Sharon Hill | hillsd@wssu.edu |
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