NCDPS Recognizes 31 Exceptional Employees with 2025 Badge of Excellence

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety recognized 31 exceptional employees Aug. 21 during the department’s annual Badge of Excellence Ceremony. The ceremony was held at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh.

The Badge of Excellence Award is the department’s highest honor. Since 2015, the Badge of Excellence has been bestowed on NCDPS employees who have made outstanding contributions to the department, state government and the people of North Carolina in both their professional and personal lives.

“Today’s honorees don’t just speak about service and sacrifice. They live these principles daily, often without recognition or fanfare,” Secretary Eddie Buffaloe Jr. said at the ceremony.

Recipients were nominated by their peers and selected by the NCDPS Badge of Excellence Committee. Awards are given out in six categories: customer service, human relations, innovation and efficiency, outstanding achievement and performance, public service and volunteerism, and safety and heroism. NCDPS is proud to recognize the following individuals and teams as recipients of the 2025 Badge of Excellence in their respective categories:

Customer Service

The award for customer service recognizes employees who consistently and significantly deliver customer-focused service. These individuals demonstrate a positive and respectful approach in every interaction, going beyond expectations to improve the experience of those we serve. Through innovative solutions, exceptional responsiveness and a commitment to excellence, they have markedly elevated the quality and impact of customer service within their divisions.

• Grace Clougherty, program assistant (Governor’s Crime Commission)
  Clougherty works in the grants section, where she consistently goes above and beyond her assigned duties. She created detailed checklists to prevent process delays and is the go-to person whenever someone needs help, whether team member or grantee. Outside her team, Clougherty fills in for front office staff, volunteers to pitch in when others are out and supports meetings across the agency. In her 25 years of public service, Clougherty has demonstrated an exceptional level of dedication.
• Leslie Malikowski, Juvenile Court Counselor (Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
  In addition to managing a full caseload, Malikowski volunteers twice a week at the Alexander Juvenile Detention Center, where she started the puzzle project. Out of her own pocket, Malikowski provides puzzles, glue and posterboard. She works on the puzzles with the juveniles—always letting them put in the last piece—and together they glue the finished puzzles onto posterboards to display on the walls as works of art. Malikowski is known for going the extra mile for her juvenile cases, too, remembering birthdays and always answering the phone when they call.

Human Relations  

The Badge of Excellence Award for Human Relations recognizes employees who have made outstanding contributions to improving workplace culture, morale and the public perception of state government. These individuals lead by example, promoting collaboration, strengthening internal relationships and building meaningful partnerships across agencies and communities. They consistently demonstrate exceptional leadership, communication and team-building skills. Through their ability to connect with others, navigate challenges and foster mutual respect, they set a powerful standard for human relations and civic engagement.

• Maj. Victor Basher, special forces commander and operations officer (National Guard)
  While serving on state active duty at Joint Task Force Site Pisgah, Maj. Basher led critical planning and coordinated multi-agency efforts in the recovery, identification and transportation of those who lost their lives during Hurricane Helene. The task force under Maj. Basher processed 93 individuals while partnering closely with many other agencies and teams. Thanks to his coordination and oversight, 48 people who had not yet been identified were named and returned to their families. One of the most important goals of this mission was to ensure that every recovered individual was treated with dignity.

Innovation and Efficiency  

The Badge of Excellence Award for Innovation and Efficiency honors employees who have introduced meaningful improvements to systems, processes or operations, enhancing effectiveness and strengthening overall performance. These individuals lead by example, consistently seeking ways to improve how work gets done. Through creativity, initiative and a commitment to continuous improvement, they deliver solutions that have a lasting, positive impact on their teams and the broader organization. Their efforts reflect a forward-thinking approach to public service and a dedication to doing things better—for everyone.

• JJDP Research Team and DIT JJDP Application Development Team: Senay Arikatla, P.K. Barua, William Crozier, Dan Flye, Megan Perrault, George Tkach, Emmet Williams (Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
  These two teams worked together to develop and launch the Five-Year Historical Trends Dashboard, an interactive tool that provides quarterly juvenile justice data from all 100 counties to the public. The dashboard represents a major advancement in the accessibility and utility of public data. The JJDP Research Team of Dr. Arikatla, Dr. Crozier, Perrault and Williams initially developed the dashboard and created and validated the data tables. The DIT JJDP Application Development Team of Barua, Flye and Tkach deployed and maintain the dashboard. This project exemplifies interagency collaboration, innovative thinking and public service.
• Erin Hickey, PREA and juvenile records manager and Alex Milburn, IT business systems analyst (Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
  Hickey and Milburn collaborated on developing a secure, user-friendly web portal where the public can submit juvenile records requests. A detailed FAQ written by Hickey guides requestors through the process. Since implementation, the new system has reduced fulfillment times and decreased onboarding time for new staff by one-third.
• Sandi Sullivan, business officer (ABC Commission)
  While working at the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, Sullivan designed a customized Smartsheet tracker that allows all six sections of the commission to report updates more consistently and clearly. Sullivan has now turned her focus to improving hiring and onboarding processes by working to design a comprehensive and consistent hiring workflow. In addition, she is collaborating with the directors of products and pricing and programs, as well as the finance manager, to improve the commission’s financial and IT workflows.
• Kelly Lodge, manager of the Temporary Relocation Assistance Department (NC Office of Recovery and Resiliency)
  Lodge is known across her department as “the great problem solver.” As soon as she joined, she set about assessing the department’s operations, pinpointing areas of waste and inefficiency and leading a comprehensive transformation that reduced costs and streamlined processes. Lodge also fosters a culture of collaboration and inclusion, actively involving her team in decision-making.

Outstanding Achievement and Performance  

The award for outstanding achievement and performance honors those whose contributions not only exceed expectations but redefine them through excellence. This year’s recipients have demonstrated exceptional drive, remarkable impact and a steadfast commitment to our mission. Their work has not only strengthened the Department of Public Safety, but it has also inspired those around them and left a lasting mark on the communities we serve. These individuals are more than high performers; they are the standard-bearers of what it means to serve with purpose, pride and distinction.

• Eric Smith, director (Office of Special Investigations) and Dawson Spencer, policy and planning analyst (Office of Policy and Strategic Planning)
  In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Smith and Spencer were tasked by Secretary Buffaloe with leading a team to organize, clean and verify the database of thousands of missing persons reports and welfare check requests that had been collected when 911 call centers were down. They worked closely with law enforcement and emergency management at the state and local levels to investigate each report. For more than two weeks, the team worked around the clock to bring peace of mind to families in western North Carolina.
• State Human Resources Office: Lovely Evans, Anitra Evans, Robert Ezzell, Donta Jackson, Cassandra Marrero, Rasheedah Roberts and Devin West (National Guard)
  The NC National Guard’s State Human Resources Office was assigned to facilitate State Active Duty payroll operations for the more than 4,300 Army and Air National Guard members deployed during the initial Hurricane Helene response. SHRO rose to meet the complicated and massive task, correcting data errors and ensuring accurate, timely pay. During the peak of the response, SHRO team members routinely worked 60+ hours per week, manually processing 4,000 to 6,000 payroll submissions. Their extraordinary performance during one of the most challenging times the state has ever faced meant that thousands of service members received the compensation they had earned on time and with care.
• Richard Brooks, youth services behavioral specialist (Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
  Brooks serves at the Cumberland Juvenile Detention Center and has been working in juvenile justice for 25 years. In addition to his commitment to helping the youth in his care, Brooks frequently trains staff in facilities across the state. He also took the initiative to bring the Cell Dreamer Academy curriculum to Cumberland JDC. The course focuses on helping juveniles explore self-reflection, self-discipline, self-awareness and personal motivation. The results at Cumberland JDC were so encouraging that Brooks brought the idea to leadership for expansion to other facilities.
• Lisa St. Clair Patton, senior grant manager (Emergency Management)
  Patton serves as the lead grants manager for Western North Carolina. When Hurricane Helene struck, though she was among the many forced to evacuate her home, she helped establish the state-operated shelter in Caldwell County, furnishing needed supplies with her own money. Patton later switched the supply runs to the donation warehouse. These daily acts of service made it possible for the volunteers and emergency response personnel at the facilities to focus on their assigned tasks, knowing that the necessities were taken care of.
• Col. Edward W. Timmons, state director of Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy (National Guard)
  When Col. Timmons took over Tarheel ChalleNGe, many leadership positions were vacant—so he took on five of them. Within three months, he improved the command’s standards, accountability and functionality. Col. Timmons resolved outstanding bills, re-established services with vendors and replaced every light on the New London campus with energy-efficient LED bulbs, to name just a few of his initiatives.

Public Service and Volunteerism  

The public service and volunteerism award honors employees who have made meaningful contributions through their involvement in community and public service efforts, whether through nonprofit organizations, grassroots initiatives or hands-on volunteer work. These individuals embody the spirit of service, demonstrating patience, kindness and an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of those around them. Their efforts are not motivated by recognition or compensation but by a deep sense of responsibility to their communities. Through consistent action and steadfast dedication, they exemplify the highest ideals of public service.

• Sherri S. Hill, Juvenile Crime Prevention Council area consultant (Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
  Hill is an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, though which she mentors young women and volunteers at local shelters for the unhoused. She also serves on the Black Alumni Affairs Board at her alma mater, Catawba College, where she provides mentorship and resources to underrepresented students and supports broader efforts toward diversity, equity and inclusion. Hill has volunteered for 26 years at Rowan Helping Ministries, a shelter for the unhoused.  In addition, she serves as the board chair for Communities in Schools of Davidson County/Lexington City Schools and is an executive board member of the Rowan County Young Professionals. Her decades of service, both professional and volunteer, have made a lasting impact across the state.

Safety and Heroism 

The Badge of Excellence Award for Safety and Heroism is presented to employees who exemplify extraordinary dedication to safety and courageous action. These individuals go beyond the call of duty to create safer environments, exercise sound judgement in moments of crisis and demonstrate exceptional bravery in the face of danger. Whether voluntarily risking their own lives or taking swift action to prevent injury, loss of life or damage to property, these employees reflect the mission of the NC Department of Public Safety: “To safeguard and preserve the lives and property of the people of NC through prevention, protection and preparation.” Their actions, often carried out under the most challenging circumstances, are a powerful reminder of the integrity, professionalism and service that define our department.

• Sgt. Jeffrey Moorhouse, Sgt. Derick Proctor and Officer Davey Schaffer (State Capitol Police)
  On the evening of Dec. 9, 2023, Officers Moorhouse and Schaffer witnessed a severe car accident in which a driver had lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree. Both officers leapt into action and pulled the driver from the car, only to realize that there was a passenger trapped inside the now flaming vehicle. The officers retrieved the fire extinguishers from their patrol cars but were unable to put out the blaze. They began trying to free the passenger. Sgt. Proctor arrived on scene and joined the effort. When the fire department arrived, the officers participated in the firefighting and continued to assist in rescue efforts until the passenger was freed.
• Trooper Scott M. Casner (State Highway Patrol)
  Trooper Casner was off-duty and traveling with his two children on the morning of July 5, 2024, when a multi-vehicle collision involving a trash truck, a SUV and two other vehicles occurred just ahead of him. Casner pulled over, instructed his sons to remain in the car, and ran to render aid. He secured the scene and stabilized a 10-year-old girl in the passenger seat of the SUV who had suffered a severe head injury. Casner stayed on scene for more than half an hour to coordinate with emergency responders until an on-duty trooper arrived to take over.

Congratulations to all award recipients.

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