Author: Clyde Roper, Communications Officer
Working alongside 26,000 colleagues in North Carolina's largest state agency, it would be easy to conclude that good deeds and excellent work may go unnoticed. Yet today, the Department of Public Safety honored some of the department’s most committed and exceptional employees during its annual Badge of Excellence Awards Ceremony. Secretary Erik A. Hooks and other DPS leaders recognized 18 employees who have made outstanding contributions to the department’s mission of improving quality of life through enhanced public safety.
Now in its fourth year, the Badge of Excellence program promotes department-wide recognition of exceptional employees and celebrates their impactful contributions to the overall goals and mission of the department, the state and its residents. Employees are nominated for the award by other DPS employees including their supervisors, co-workers and subordinates. Awards are given in six categories. This year's award winners include:
Customer Service
Bart Alligood – System Programmer Analyst, NCEM
Alligood assisted all users of the global positioning system known as the Continually Operating Reference System, providing real-time guidance to help farm equipment accurately plant crops and construction contractors to safely dig. Alligood’s skill and dedication ensured users were provided access and excellent customer service, with Alligood being known to check the system after hours and on vacation.
John Pollard – Juvenile Court Counselor, Juvenile Justice
Pollard went above and beyond his normal duties by working collaboratively with the community to ensure public safety. Pollard sought and received approval for the YMCA in Cleveland County to become a community service work site for two youth on Pollard’s caseload, and provided transportation for the youth on Saturdays to ensure they can complete their community service while learning valuable job skills.
Outstanding Achievement and Performance
Nathan Anderson – SBI Criminal Specialist, SBI
Anderson played a significant role in a child pornography case that began in 2016. Not satisfied with the status of the initial case developed against the suspect, Anderson continued to dig deeper, identifying additional victims. After further investigation in North Carolina, other states and overseas, additional charges were filed against the suspect. Anderson was the driving force in a very complex investigation spanning multiple agencies, states and continents.
Susan Fowler – Administrative Officer, Adult Correction
Fowler worked diligently to identify the cause of a critical problem with a recruitment and application system that had resulted in a decline in the number of applications received by the department. Fowler devised a workaround that resolved the issue and led to a major increase in applications.
Marsha Woodall – Chief Court Counselor, Juvenile Justice
On her own initiative, Woodall implemented a screening process using intensive case management to better ensure each child received the appropriate amount of service and to keep the public safe. Woodall also worked closely with the Sanford Police Department and Project Safe Neighborhood to develop a program for children in Lee County who are transitioning back into the community.
Public Service and Volunteerism
Beth Edwards - Administrative Assistant, Adult Correction
This past May, Edwards helped a co-worker diagnosed with colon cancer by organizing a BBQ fundraiser to help pay the co-worker’s medical bills. Edwards spent many hours of personal time organizing, collecting donations and making calls to find volunteers for the very successful event. Edwards also organized another fundraiser for a co-worker whose infant child required surgery, helping the co-worker and family get through a very difficult time.
Janet Dalton – Teacher, Juvenile Justice
Besides being a dedicated math teacher who uplifts her students, Dalton dedicated her free time to helping her community. After Hurricane Matthew, she collected school supplies, toiletries and bottled water and hand delivered them to Robeson County. Dalton also coordinated a drive to help survivors in Texas recover from Hurricane Harvey.
Scott McIntosh – Probation/Parole Officer, Community Corrections
McIntosh runs an outreach ministry called Wood Fire Ministries, which offers firewood to individuals and families in need at no cost. McIntosh also volunteered his time as an assistant coach for a middle school baseball team and served on the league’s baseball committee.
Innovation and Efficiency
Sherrie Kappa – Medical Records Assistant, Adult Correction
In addition to her regular duties, Kappa managed and edited the Mountain Region Nursing Newsletter. Through many hours of diligent and meticulous work involved in designing, editing and laying out the quarterly newsletter, Kappa helped improve the morale of health services employees and kept them informed about other areas of the department.
Human Relations
Nicole Hawkins – Youth Counselor Technician, Juvenile Justice
In her role as acting Human Services Coordinator, Hawkins partnered with staff to create a Health and Wellness Calendar for the academic school year. As part of the Wellness Team, she helped organize and implement the First Annual Adult and Youth Wellness Fair. Hawkins also volunteered by delivering school supplies to elementary schools for Backpack Awareness Month.
Safety and Heroism
Ryan Kenny and Justin Graney – Emergency Management Planners, NCEM
On April 2 of this year, Graney discovered a co-worker displaying signs of a heart attack. Graney called out to Kenny and the two then began performing CPR on their colleague. In addition to being emergency management planners, Graney and Kenny are both highly experienced and well-trained first responders. They managed a constant rotation of medically trained employees to maintain high-quality compressions until EMS could arrive. Their quick thinking, dedication and experience in emergency response enabled them to help save the life of a colleague.
Dwain Johnson; Jason Baker; Jason Dzierzynski; Mark Romero – Probation/Parole Officers, ALE Agent
On the night of Thursday, Jan. 11, Probation Officers Johnson, Baker, Romero and Special Agent Dzierzynski were in the parking lot of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department after participating in a joint operation with the police department. A suspect later determined to be wanted for murder entered the parking lot and then suddenly opened fire on a group of Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Officers. The DPS personnel, along with Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Officers, returned the gunman’s fire, neutralizing him. Their situational awareness and quick response undoubtedly saved innocent lives.
Brian Boehmer – Probation/Parole Officer, Community Corrections
On Nov. 19, 2017, while off duty, Boehmer was at home when he heard screams coming from next door. Upon investigating, he discovered his neighbor’s boyfriend had overdosed. Boehmer retrieved his state-issued NARCAN, a drug used to treat a narcotic overdose in emergencies. Boehmer administered the drug to the man and performed CPR on him until he became responsive and police and EMS arrived.
Jennifer Trantham – Special Agent, ALE
On July 18, 2017, while traveling on NC Highway 226N in McDowell County, Special Agent Trantham observed a dump truck apparently out of control with heavy smoke pouring from the rear axle. Turning her patrol car around to initiate a traffic stop, Trantham soon discovered the truck, which had collided with a small yellow car. Finding two women trapped inside the car, Trantham cleared glass from the broken windshield to gain access to the passenger, who was lying on the driver. Working through the broken windshield, Trantham placed the unresponsive passenger in an upright position and began chest compressions until EMS arrived. The driver miraculously survived the collision, but sadly, the passenger did not.