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Recognize 2024 Bobby Cobb Award Recipients
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INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patrick Niland, County Manager’s Office, Deputy County Manager, 704-283-3630
ACTION REQUESTED:
Recognize this year’s Bobby Cobb Award Recipients: Susie Calkins, Dr. Candace Crowe, Heather Horne, Ashley Lantz, and Erin Steele.
PRIOR BOARD ACTIONS:
None.
BACKGROUND:
The Bobby Cobb Award is named in memory of former Public Health employee Bobby Cobb, who served Union County for several years. The Management Team created the Bobby Cobb Award in 2022 to honor Cobb's memory. Five Union County employees are being recognized with the 2024 Bobby Cobb Award, which honors employees who go above and beyond to provide invaluable services and exceed expectations, particularly for large efforts or initiatives that involve collaboration and coordination among multiple county departments. Each of these recipients was nominated by a coworker in recognition of exceptional efforts made during the past year and selected by the county's Management Team for the annual award. Below are brief summaries of each recipient’s nomination:
• Susie Calkins (Building Code Enforcement) often assists other departments, boosts employee morale and meets the needs of the community as a whole. She oversees a Fun Committee for all County employees and coordinates fun events for employees. Susie also initiates a drive to collect school supplies at the start of each school year and a toy drive each Christmas.
• Dr. Candace Crowe (Public Health) worked diligently to improve the dental health of county residents for the last five years of her 28-year career in public health. Dr. Crowe demonstrated her dedication early in the pandemic when all other dental practices were closed. She felt it was important to see emergency patients for pain and problem issues, allowing many patients to avoid the hospital during the height of the pandemic. Dr. Crowe has built partnerships with the schools, as well as the Maternity clinic to remove barriers to dental care and education.
• Heather Horne (Community Support & Outreach) has displayed remarkable versatility and initiative by taking on additional responsibilities beyond her direct supervisory line. She recently assumed the role of backup Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, a crucial unpaid position aimed at ensuring continuity. In this capacity, she has undergone extensive training and acquired new skill sets while effectively managing her regular duties. Heather's efforts have been pivotal in revitalizing the county's sheltering program and have significantly contributed to the success of an upcoming Catawba nuclear exercise. Furthermore, Heather's exemplary leadership was evident during her department’s collaboration on the Christmas Bureau project. Despite facing unforeseen challenges and time constraints, Heather demonstrated exceptional resilience and resourcefulness.
• Ashley Lantz (Social Services) embraces community-focused work that exceeds the scope of her job description, such as supporting emergency community shelters with staff and time. She also supported the decontamination efforts associated with the Emergency Management responsibilities for Catawba nuclear exercises with staff and training. Ashley led the Mental Health Work Group assessing resources and needs for the county.
• Erin Steele (Public Communications) is being recognized for her demonstrated success in working across county departments and bringing people together to achieve a common goal. Since the beginning of 2023, Erin has served as the project lead or been instrumental to the success of numerous organization-wide initiatives, including launching the redesigned intranet, helping launch the Engage Union County site, assisting with the development of crisis communications processes and templates, beginning a robust website accessibility enhancement project, helping launch the new library website, and more. Her work has directly resulted in Union County being recognized with national and international awards.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
None.