Richard Caswell Award

painted portrait of Richard Caswell

The Richard Caswell Award Program was established in January 1998 for state employees with 45 or more years of service. The award acknowledges and expresses appreciation for noteworthy, extended dedicated service. An appropriate statewide or agency-level ceremony is conducted annually for eligible employees.

The Office of State Human Resources administers the program. The Employee Recognition Committee serves in an advisory role to the OSHR Employee Recognition Program staff.

Richard Caswell was a Maryland native who dedicated most of his adult life to North Carolina. He was the first Orange County clerk of court before taking up arms during the Revolutionary War.  He later became a member of the colonial assembly, where he was a champion for free public education.

With our young nation’s independence from Britain, Caswell became North Carolina’s first governor, serving from 1776-1780. He next served as state controller, returning to the job of chief executive from 1784-1787. Caswell also was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, then served again as a state senator. In 1789, at age 60, he suffered a fatal stroke while presiding over a senate session in Fayetteville.

Caswell Award Policy

2024 Caswell Awards Video

Past Recipients

Tab/Accordion Items

  • Miriam Dixon, Braille Teacher, Department of Health and Human Services
  • Nancy Gilchrist, Judicial District Manager, Department of Adult Correction
  • Howard Hand, Deputy Clerk of Superior Court, Judicial Branch
  • C.I. Ingram, Appeals Referee, Department of Commerce
  • Randy Johnson, Healthcare Technician, Department of Health and Human Services
  • Freda Lee, State Section 504 Coordinator, Department of Public Instruction
  • Camille McEachren, Provisioning Network Technician, Department of Information Technology
  • Dee Nelms, Office Manager, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
  • Al Sapp, Animal Health Technician, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
  • Robert Schwacke, School Psychologist, Department of Adult Correction
  • Michael Stiles, Animal Health Technician, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
  • Jovonnie Webb, Registered Nurse House Supervisor, Department of Health and Human Services
  • Ella Wrenn, Court Administrator, Judicial Branch

WTVD Coverage of the 2023 Caswell Awards

2023 Caswell Awards Video

  • Rhoda Ammons, Human Services Program Consultant II, Department of Health and Human Services 
  • Addie Avery, Administrative Associate II Office of Administrative Hearings 
  • Lamm C. Bond, Social Work Supervisor Department of Health and Human Services 
  • James W. Burnette Jr., Director of Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 
  • Gale Dixon Coor, Director of the Children’s Developmental Services Agency, Department of Health and Human Services 
  • Gary Cramer, Database Administrator II, Department of Commerce 
  • Randy Dillard, Engineer II, Department of Transportation 
  • Renee Gledhill-Earley, Historic Preservation and Restoration Supervisor, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources 
  • Boyd Hamrick, Transportation Worker II, Department of Transportation 
  • Phillip Hopkins, Administrative Specialist, Industrial Commission 
  • Peggie Lee Hunt, Travel Counselor Hostess, Department of Commerce 
  • Debra Johnson, Administrative Assistant, Office of the Governor 
  • Beth Laughinghouse, Health Care Technician I, Department of Health and Human Services 
  • Sally McDonald, Human Services Program Consultant III, Department of Health and Human Services 
  • Johnnie McManus, Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review Coordinator, Department of Health and Human Services 
  • Ruth McNeill, Judicial Services Coordinator, Department of Adult Correction 
  • Roxann Murphy, Administrative Associate II, Department of Commerce 
  • Marcia Page, Administrative Specialist II, Department of Labor
  • Rhonda Raynor, Assistant Clerk, Judicial Branch 

  • Deborah Howell of Fremont, Radiology Supervisor of Cherry Hospital within the Department of Health and Human Services
  • Gary W. Thompson of Clayton, Chief of the N.C. Geodetic Survey within the Department of Public Safety
  • Karen Clevenger of Holly Springs, Environmental Specialist in the Air Quality Division of the Department of Environmental Quality
  • Marcus D. Hammonds of Polkton, Anson County Clerk of Superior Court, Judicial Branch
  • Michael John McArthur of Edenton, Chowan County Clerk of Superior Court, Judicial Branch

Department of Commerce

  • Dr. Cathy Battle
  • Sharon Peacock

Department of Environmental Quality

  • Mary Johnson
  • Katy West

Department of Health and Human Services

  • Maude Body
  • Connie Dixon
  • Judy Hinson
  • Pat Hovis
  • Pink Moore

Judicial Branch

  • Michael Huneycutt
  • Shirley Johnson
  • Evelyn McCleod
  • Ides Pettaway
  • Laurin Robertson

Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

  • Keith McLease

Department of Public Instruction

  • Marilyn Johns

Wildlife Resources Commission

  • Gary Dail

Department of Administration

  • Jerry S. Rogers

Judicial Branch

  • Robbin R. Creech
  • Mabel H. Lowman
  • Richard McCollister
  • Linda L. Thorne
  • Nell F. Wiggins

Department of Justice

  • Phoebe H. West

Department of Health and Human Services

  • Joyce W. Gardner
  • Judith Isom
  • Elaine Kistler
  • Melvin Lynch
  • Lynn Pressley

Department of Transportation

  • Deborah Jernigan
  • Donald King
  • James Michael
  • Jerry A. Parker

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

  • Timothy A. Batten
  • Kay Glenn Harris

Department of Commerce

  • Raymond E. Grace
  • Leonard T. Tyson

Department of Health and Human Services

  • James L. Butler
  • Andrew L. Coward
  • Steven Freedman
  • Tom Leeder
  • Barbara Roseboro Myers
  • Rosalie A. Pugh
  • Susie Sherrod-Sanders
  • Robert V. Young III

Judicial Branch

  • Frederick G. Lind

Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

  • Martha Battle Jackson
  • Ardath Weaver

Office of State Human Resources

  • Ronald C. Condrey

Department of Public Safety

  • Cleveland Allen Graham
  • Patricia C. Jackson

Department of Public Instruction

  • Governor Morehead School: Frederick McEachern

Department of Transportation

  • William L. Faulk
  • Stephen W. Jackson
  • Douglas Sossamon

Department of Administration

  • Vernon Shelton

Administrative Office of the Courts

  • Barbara Graves
  • Betty Kelso
  • Amelia Linn
  • Christine Smoot

Department of Environmental Quality

  • Bill Moore
  • Roger Thorpe

Department of Health and Human Services

  • Arlena Jones
  • Janice Martin
  • John Miller
  • Gerri Nash
  • Carl Privette
  • Clementine Pulliam
  • Charlotte Rouse

Department of Revenue

  • Alice Creech

Department of Transportation

  • Clayton Evans

Wildlife Resources Commission

  • David Allen

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences

  • N. David Smith

Department of Environmental Quality

  • Roy Byrd

Department of Health and Human Services

  • Carole Allen
  • Barbara McDonald
  • Charles Philbeck
  • Vivian Williams

Judicial Branch

  • William Baggs
  • Cora Billups
  • Rebecca Gambill
  • Fred Hatley

Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

  • Deborah Coley

Department of Public Instruction

  • Betsy West

Department of Public Safety

  • Grace Dilda

Department of Transportation

  • Judy Heath
  • David Moss

Department of Health and Human Services

  • William Johnson
  • Andrea Morgan
  • Frances Nichols

Department of Insurance

  • Francis Di Pasquantonio

Judicial Branch

  • Shirley Brooks
  • Patsy Jordan

Department of Labor

  • Shelby Stephenson

Department of Public Safety

  • Willis Fowler
  • Sarah Wilder

Department of Transportation

  • Faye McCullen

Office of Administrative Hearings

  • Judge Fred Morrison

Department of Agriculture

  • Linda Franklin
  • Betty Griffin

Department of Commerce

  • Helen Dalzell
  • Donald Hoover
  • Ruby Hodge
  • Vena Jester
  • Jerry Pickett

Department of Environmental Quality

  • Linda Blalock

Department of Health and Human Services

  • Judy Abbott
  • George Allen
  • William Allen
  • Gale Bullard
  • Judith Charles
  • Wanda Freeman
  • Smokey Garcia
  • Judith Harris
  • Velma Hicks
  • Bessie Jernigan
  • Daniel Morgan
  • Carol Rados
  • Brenda Smith
  • Jean Spruill

Department of Insurance

  • Robert Wade

Judicial Branch

  • Betty English
  • Marlene Fields
  • Barbara Hawkins
  • Rachel Joyner
  • Mary Phillips
  • Patricia Way

Department of Justice

  • Judy McLamb

Department of Public Safety

  • Myrna Eakes
  • Nora Hunt
  • Sandra Prichard
  • Harold Webster

Department of Transportation

  • Wayne Atkins
  • Fred Barkley
  • Clarence Cameron
  • Owen Cordle
  • Elisha Isaacs
  • James Lane
  • Grady Shepard
  • John Shoemaker
  • Johnny Southard