The awards will be presented at the 2001 Workforce Development Partnership Conference.  One thousand workforce development professionals, educators and members of the business community will attend the conference scheduled for Wednesday, October 24 through Friday October 26 at the Sheraton at Four Seasons/Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. The conference will focus on building partnerships and providing better service to employers and job seekers across the state.

A high point of the conference is the presentation of the Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Workforce Development.  Honorees will be recognized at a banquet on Thursday, October 25 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.  The Governor’s Awards honor individuals for their outstanding accomplishments and businesses for their contributions in helping the state achieve its workforce development goals.

The award recipients are examples of the tremendous role community colleges play in changing lives and making dreams come true. The recipients are:

Juanita Sowell, Charlotte – Governor’s Award for Excellence in Workforce Development, Outstanding Adult Participant. Sowell refused to let depression, the lack of a high school diploma and caring for two disabled children keep her down.  After some rough times, Sowell attended Central Piedmont Community College, obtaining her GED and then her CNA.  She is now employed as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Beverly Health Care.

Crystal Howard Talmadge, Wilson – Governor’s Award for Excellence in Workforce Development, Outstanding Adult Participant. This mother of five was also a victim of Hurricane Floyd. Undeterred, she enrolled in Pitt Community College.  She was working two jobs when she graduated with honors with a degree in Business Administration.  She is now a student at North Carolina Wesleyan College pursuing dual degrees in Business Administration and Accounting.

Kermit "Mack" Edwards, Sparta – Governor’s Award for Excellence in Workforce Development, Outstanding Youth Participant.  The death of his father when he was a senior in high school led Edwards to find work to help his mother with financial responsibilities.  He found work through the Alleghany County JobLink Career Center. He graduate from high school and continued to work. Edwards graduated from Surry Community College while still working full time.  He is being honored for his outstanding work ethic and for overcoming barriers that could have taken him in a different direction in life.

Bridget Rae Calvert, Linville – Governor’s Award for Excellence in Workforce Development, Outstanding Youth Participant.  When Calvert was five, her mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. A desire to be near her mom led to long hours of volunteering at her mother’s nursing home and an interest in the profession.  She applied for a non-certified aide position when she was 14. She became a Certified Nursing Assistant at 16.  She is enrolled at Mayland Community College working toward her Associate of Applied Science Degree in Office Systems Technology, maintaining a 3.75 GPA while working two part-time jobs and continuing to volunteer at the nursing home.

The fifth honoree is a business that employs approximately 400 individuals and also works closely with a community college:

Bryant-Durham Electric Company, Durham – Governor’s Award for Outstanding Workforce Development Employer. Bryant-Durham Electric Company has a strong employee development program for all employees.  The company carries its commitment to education, training, and quality into the community by sharing its time, resources, and talent with Durham’s emerging workforce.  An outgrowth of their strong apprenticeship program advocacy is the Bryant-Durham annual scholarship program, which is awarded to local high school graduates who will attend Wake Technical Community College.

The North Carolina Community College System is the primary source of world-class workforce training and education resources.

-NCCCS-

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