By By GREG KATSKI
Community Editor
County employees filled Beaufort County Community College’s Building 10 on Thursday afternoon to celebrate the holiday season with an awards luncheon.
Beaufort County Manager Paul Spruill presented awards at the annual luncheon to employees in the areas of innovation, customer service, teamwork, leadership and for going above and beyond.
Spruill said this year’s recipients should be extremely proud considering the current economic climate and the impact it has had on the county and the public.
“They had to rise to the occasion and serve the public in a terrible economic situation,” Spruill said.
The award winners were nominated and chosen by last year’s recipients, according to Spruill.
The Leadership award was presented to Barbara Jones, who had to fill in as Beaufort County Social Services’ interim director and is also in charge of the department’s program services.
The Teamwork awards were presented to the Beaufort County Health Department for its work organizing this season’s flu shot clinics and Lt. Jamie Cahoon with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Beaufort County Nursing Director Carol Kinnion accepted the award on behalf of the Health Department. Spruill called the Health Department’s work to organize the clinics “a monstrous task.”
Spruill said that Cahoon, who is the first female sworn deputy on the Sheriff’s Office’s tactical response team, helped the department in ways that went beyond her specific job duties.
Above and Beyond awards were presented to Judy Griffin, who is in charge of family and children’s Medicaid at BCSS, and Beaufort County Assistant Tax Assessor Cindy Ambrose.
Ambrose has been employed with the county for over 20 years, according to Spruill, and fought through some health problems to continue doing her duties on a day-to-day basis.
“Under unusual health circumstances she still checked in daily,” he said.
The Customer Service award was presented to Deloris Creasman, who is the county’s human resources technician and the Innovation award was presented to Beaufort County Facilities Maintenance Director Jim Spain for his help in renovating the old Tideland Mental Health Building
The annual luncheon was sponsored by the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners and catered by the Plantation House.