Tag Archive for: #warrencountynews

Warren County students graduate from VGCC summer transportation institute

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Nineteen Warren County High School students were recently honored for graduating from the National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI), hosted by Vance-Granville Community College’s Warren County Campus. This was the second consecutive year that the institute was offered, in addition to a similar Summer Transportation & Trades Academy held on the campus in 2015.

The three-week summer program was conducted by the college in partnership with Warren County Schools, the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. The NSTI concluded on June 30, when graduation exercises were held at Warren County High School.

Graduates included WCHS students Jahmad Attucks, Timothy Batchelor, Daniel Braswell, Juan Cervantes, Timothy Edwards, Destiny Hightower, Domilig’e Hunter, Leonte Jiggetts, Dustin Jordan, Quantaya Marion, Zacchaeus Marrow, Nathan Milam, Tavis Mills, RocQuan Perry, James Robinson, Diamond Shaw, Jakayla Simes, Rhasheed Wheeler and Montellus Williams.

Three graduates were recognized with outstanding achievement awards for going “above and beyond”: Attucks, Hightower and Simes.

The ceremony, entitled “Transformation through Transportation III,” began with welcoming remarks by VGCC Warren County Campus Dean Lyndon Hall, who oversaw the NSTI grant project for the college, and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Angela Ballentine. Last year, VGCC became the first community college in North Carolina to host a camp through an NSTI grant, under the leadership of recently-retired VGCC Director of Occupational Extension Jean Blaine.

The staff for the camp included coordinator Odessa Perry and assistant coordinator Leslie Dundas, both Warren County educators; and academic aide Peter Marcellas Robinson of Creedmoor, a graduate of the VGCC Electronics Engineering Technology program.

During the graduation ceremony, groups of students made presentations that summarized their experiences during the program, which focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) as well as “soft skills” and exploring careers in transportation by land, air and water.

The camp featured a variety of guest presenters. As they learned about workplace safety, students became certified in CPR and first aid by Stephen Barney from the VGCC Emergency Medical Services department. Among the other VGCC faculty and staff teaching sessions were Assistant Director of Financial Aid Jeremy Lambert, Librarian Jennie Davis, Academic Skills Center Coordinator Jason Snelling, College Success & Study Skills Program Head Olu Ariyo and Warren Campus Coordinator/Instructor of Basic Skills Edna Scott.

Students went on several field trips during the program, visiting the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington, Hatteras Yacht Manufacturing, Amtrak stations in Durham and Raleigh, and the Carolina Sunrock facility in Butner.

Leigh Dennis, a Certified Equipment Manager (CEM) and manager of fleet services for Carolina Sunrock, was the guest speaker for the graduation ceremony. “What our graduates have accomplished both individually and as a team is impressive,” Dennis said. “It also has great value to them and the transportation industry.” He told the graduates, “In this program, you have met and surmounted the challenges presented to you by your instructors. You have traveled to see and experience some transportation industries at work and, in the process, been introduced to some of the vast opportunity that awaits. With the higher education programs and career paths available in the field of transportation, we are all hopeful that you will keep our industries in mind when deciding what you want to do.”

Dennis said that he had been professionally involved with the construction of transportation infrastructure (earthmoving, road-building, utilities installation and materials production) for 35 years. But even he learned something new when he visited the NSTI camp in Warrenton. “I had told some of my team where I was going that day so when I returned to work, some of them asked jokingly, ‘So, did you learn anything at school today?’ As a matter of fact, I did, I said, at which point I showed them pictures of what you were doing – learning and applying the concept of LED circuitry to arrange a circuit board to first make the lights come on and then program them to blink in succession,” he recalled.

“No one in the room was joking any more. People that have worked in the materials production and delivery part of the transportation industry for years were using words such as ‘incredible’ and ‘amazing’ to describe what they were seeing in the pictures. Activities like this prove that you have been tested in ways that help you see and apply the values of teamwork, collaboration and cooperation,” Dennis said. “When you combine that with field trips to see transportation at work in the real world, you now own what we in the business world refer to as ‘invaluable experience.’ This is a powerful term which, by the way, looks really good on college or employment applications and resumes.” He concluded by saying, “Graduates of the 2017 National Summer Transportation Institute, as a long-time member and representative of the transportation industry, I salute you and wish you well on your journeys to success.”

Also on hand to congratulate the graduates were Federal Highway Administration Civil Rights Program Manager Lynise DeVance, N.C. Department of Transportation Education Initiatives Coordinator JoAna McCoy, and VGCC Vice President of Student Services Dr. Levy Brown.

Each participant attended the camp at no cost and received a stipend based upon their attendance and active participation in camp activities.

VGCC is partnering with the DOT on a number of training initiatives, including a Heavy Equipment Operator course, which is also conducted at the Warren Campus. For more information on that program, contact Lyndon Hall at halll@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3687.

Recent VGCC grad featured in career pathways discussion for educators

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Educators, local industry representatives, community leaders and a recent Vance-Granville Community College graduate shared ideas at a panel discussion organized on June 21 by the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance (AMSTA), a partnership of VGCC, Granville County Schools, Franklin County Schools, Warren County Schools and Vance County Schools.

The event was part of “AMSTA Summer Cruisers 2017,” a multi-day program that brought teachers from the four counties together to learn more about manufacturing and the regional economy. Day three of the program was held at Franklinton High School and began with greetings from the state’s deputy superintendent of public instruction, Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin, who applauded the participants and said AMSTA is a model for the state.

Next, a discussion on “career pathways” featured panelists Ronnie Goswick, the director of business and economic development at Carolina Sunrock and a former Franklin County economic development director; Arlan Peters, manager of sustainability at Novozymes North America in Franklinton; Eric Breit, director of strategic initiatives for the Capital Area Workforce Development Board; and Thomas Boyd of Henderson, a recent VGCC Mechatronics Engineering Technology program graduate.

Barbara Boyce, representing the Triangle Regional Career Pathways Collaborative (TRCPC), served as the moderator. The collaborative consists of three workforce development boards, five community colleges (including VGCC), ten public school districts and numerous community and industry partners. The primary goal of TRCPC is to develop career pathways to align with the regional labor market and support the regional economy.

Goswick told educators that he hopes K-12 teachers will focus on so-called “soft skills,” good work habits and professionalism, which apply to any type of work. “We can train them on the job skills they will need for a particular job,” he said of new workers at his company. Similarly, Peters said that schools should produce “students who are good thinkers, who can solve a problem,” and said basic science was essential for his company. “Even in jobs that aren’t science-related, you can use your scientific training,” he noted.

Boyd was asked to talk about his pathway. He graduated from Southern Vance High School, worked for a few years, and then enrolled at VGCC, originally intending to study web design. Boyd then switched to the college’s new Mechatronics Engineering Technology degree program, primarily due to his interest in robotics. “Mechatronics is a program that combines different parts of many different fields, a little electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, a little bit of design, and overall industrial maintenance, so you’ve got a little bit of everything to get you started when you’re looking for a job,” Boyd said. “After a year in the program, I was approached about an internship opportunity for a design job at AXIS Corrugated Container, a manufacturer in Butner. I enjoyed taking the design classes, so I took the internship. After I completed the internship, they offered me a full-time job, and I’ve been working there a little over a year now.” In May, he became one of VGCC’s first three Mechatronics graduates.

Boyd said it would be beneficial for younger students to learn generally about how businesses operate, how to network and how to communicate professionally. He added that teachers should explain to students the job opportunities available for students if they earn two-year degrees, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. “Your average high school student thinks they want to go to a four-year school and they’ll automatically get a great job right from the start, but a lot of them don’t realize that you can get a two-year degree and get a really nice-paying job,” Boyd said. “Even if they want to go to a four-year school, doing the two years at a community college first will help them out in the long run. It gives them a good start with a couple years to figure out what they really want to do, and then they can decide on furthering their education somewhere else.”

Breit, representing the workforce development field, said according to the latest research, “the quality of the current and future workforce is now the single most important factor for industry recruitment and retention, so employers want to know about not only current workers but also about the local schools.” He added that the nine Triangle-area counties, including both urban and rural areas, are considered a single labor market, “so it makes sense for workforce development boards, community colleges and public schools throughout the region to put our heads together to see how we can better collectively serve the region, our employers and our students.” Breit said that TRCPC is focused on jobs that are in demand, in the sectors of advanced manufacturing, information technology, life sciences and health care.

After the discussion, a second panel was held to discuss school choice and its impact on the public school systems. Speakers included Dave Machado, director of the Office of Charter Schools at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, and Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, assistant director of that office.

Finally, attendees received updates from several guests. Jo Anne Honeycutt, director of Career & Technical Education (CTE) for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, said that her department is emphasizing Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunities and is working on a new high-school-to-college articulation agreement that will help students transfer their high school course credits to colleges. LaTanya Patillio, a former CTE teacher and the new teacher advisor to Gov. Roy Cooper, addressed educators and said that “AMSTA is an example of what public schools are doing right.”

Tresha Layne from the Southern Regional Education Board said that she is working with AMSTA on professional development tied to project-based learning, and praised the partnership for helping the K-12 schools collaborate with VGCC and employers to develop a skilled talent “pipeline.” Sara Lloyd, VGCC’s director of customized training, added that she fields calls from industries about their workforce development needs and helps to connect them to K-12 schools and the college concerning internship opportunities.

Attendees concluded the event by touring Franklinton High School’s Career & Technical Education wing.

For more information on AMSTA, contact Stephanie Ayers at ayerss@vgcc.edu or (919) 316-0026.

–VGCC–

Warren Family Institute Back To School Supply Drive Thru July 31st

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by Craig Hahn

The Warren Family Institute is currently conducting a Back-ToSchool Supply Drive. You can help them by donating school supplies for the Children of Warren County. Any size donation will be greatly appreciated.

The Supply Drive goes on now thru 31 July. Items may be dropped off at the following location: 427 West Franklin Street, Warrenton (on the campus of Hawkins Ed. Ctr. Bldg. 6). Or you can call for pick-up at 252-257-1134. If you would rather donate money to buy school supplies, please mail your check to:

Warren Family Institute PO Box 150 Warrenton, NC 27589

All school supplies will be given away at various Warren County Community Events.

Thank you!

The Crossing at Lake Gaston Coming August 12th

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by Craig Hahn

The Eaton Ferry Bridge is the place to be for a morning of fun for the entire family. The Crossing begins promptly at 9 am. Registration begins at 8:00 am.

THE CROSSING is an annual event for the Lake Gaston Community and is sponsored by O’SAIL. The goal is to encourage the Lake Gaston population to annually get in the water and join others in a non-motorized crossing of the lake in mass. THE CROSSING will occur in a protected area adjacent to the Eaton Ferry Bridge secured by the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.

THE CROSSING requires registration of all participants. There is a preregistration fee of $25.00 or $30.00 the day of the event. Upon completion of the event, participants will receive complimentary fruit and water at the finish and a limited edition t-shirt. (Note: Preferred T-Shirt size cannot be guaranteed for those who register the day of the event)

The two classes of participants are:
 SWIMMERS o Under 13 years of age must have signed life guard statement that they have a proven ability to swim the distance or be accompanied by an adult throughout the swim. o Must wear swim cap for visibility, swim caps will be provided at registration check-in.  NON-MOTORIZED VESSELS o All riders must wear PFD. o Can be individual or team entry
o Can use commercial or self-made vessel. All vessels must be water sound and may be disqualified by officials at the entrance area if they are deemed to be unsafe or not able to make the distance.  THE WAVERS o Beyond the usual non-motorized water vessels, we’re encouraging you to use your imagination. The WAVER category was created to encourage small or large groups to cross together in the most creative ways possible. Some examples might be connected by noodles or even floating atop their own creation of a boat, barge, raft, etc.

How can you join the fun? Register below and show up the day of the event ready to have fun with your team and your creation. *NOTE: Registration may be completed online through 5PM, Friday 8/11. Registration the day of the event is $30.

VGCC celebrates first graduates supported by ‘VanGuarantee’ scholarship

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HENDERSON, N.C. — When six students walked across the stage to receive their degrees at Vance-Granville Community College’s May commencement exercises, they quietly made history. They were among the first graduates of the college who had received the “VanGuarantee” scholarship to help eliminate any financial barriers standing between them and their academic goals.

The innovative scholarship program was first announced in 2016 by the president of the college, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, with the first scholarships being awarded in the fall 2016 semester. The VanGuarantee was made possible by a $1.6 million bequest to VGCC from the estate of Wilbert A. Edwards, a resident of Oxford at the time of his death and a native of Vance County. The gift, announced in 2015, is the second largest in the history of the college. 

Three of the VanGuarantee recipients participating in Commencement were graduates of the Associate Degree Nursing program: Brittany Champion of Creedmoor, Courtney Humphries of eastern Granville County and Erin Woodlief of Franklinton. Alicia Toler of Raleigh, a former Granville County resident, graduated with an Associate in Arts degree. Kristen Honaker of Henderson completed a degree in Pharmacy Technology. Tanisha Silver of Warrenton graduated from the Medical Office Administration degree program.

“Receiving the VanGuarantee meant a lot to me,” Silver reflected. “I received a community college grant for the fall 2016 semester, but I still didn’t have enough to pay for my books. I was told about the VanGuarantee scholarship, and I was ecstatic about it. It has helped me out a lot, because it has made it possible for me to finish school.” Silver is currently in the job market for employment in a doctor’s office or hospital setting and is considering continuing her education at the bachelor’s degree level. A former certified nursing assistant and a mother, she said she waited until all of her children were in school to work on advancing her own career through education.

Toler said she was very appreciative of the opportunity that the VanGuarantee provided her. She intends to transfer into a four-year university to study nursing. “Had it not been for the VGCC Financial Aid Office staff, particularly Ms. Tonya Strum, telling me about the VanGuarantee scholarship, I don’t think I would have been able to stay in school,” Toler said.

At least two graduates are already employed, Champion in the emergency room at Duke Regional Hospital in Durham and Humphries at Maria Parham Health in Henderson, working in Outpatient Surgical Services. “I am very thankful that I was able to receive the VanGuarantee this year,” Humphries said. “It has helped me finish my last two semesters of RN school. I am truly blessed beyond words!”

The VanGuarantee is designed to cover tuition, student fees and/or textbooks for eligible students whose financial needs are unmet by federal financial aid and other means of support. The program is one of a number of “promise” or “guarantee” programs across the country, created by individual colleges or by states, in response to growing concerns from policymakers and students about the rising cost of higher education. In 2016, the VanGuarantee was recognized by the White House and national groups focused on college affordability.

Some college promise programs are open only to recent high school graduates, but the VanGuarantee applies to all eligible adults in the four counties, reflecting VGCC’s longstanding tradition of helping adults retrain for new careers at any age.

Among the eligibility requirements for the VanGuarantee, students must reside in the college’s service area (Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties) and qualify for in-state tuition. Eligible students must enroll in at least nine credit hours per semester in any VGCC curriculum program and not already possess a post-secondary degree from any college or university. They must first apply for and meet the eligibility requirements for federal and state financial aid programs. Next, they apply for endowed VGCC scholarships. When students still lack the funds to pay for their education after exhausting those and other sources, the VanGuarantee program helps to fill the gap. That makes the program an example of what is often called a “last-dollar scholarship.”

Once enrolled in the VanGuarantee program, students must maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) to continue receiving the scholarship.

For more information on applying for the VanGuarantee, students can visit www.vgcc.edu/fao/vanguarantee.

–VGCC–

District Attorney’s July 2017 Schedule

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DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S SCHEDULE JULY 2017

 

Mon, July 3 Warren Trial Court (Rozier) – Fuller, Raymond

Franklin District Court (Keith) – Gardner, Roberson

Vance District Court (Burnette) – Erdmann, Watson/Hargrove

Granville District Court (Davis) – Gregory, Dickerson

Granville County Clerk’s Office Hours, Attorneys, 2:00-4:00 pm – Gregory

 

Tues, July 4 Holiday

 

Wed, July 5 Granville District Court (Stevenson) – Erdmann, Dickerson

Granville Juvenile Court (Burnette) – Putney

Warren District Court (Davis) – Louis, Raymond

Granville County Clerk’s Office Hours, Public, 2:00-4:00 pm – Putney

Franklin Trial Prep – Gardner, Gregory

 

Thurs, July 6 Franklin Juvenile Court (Keith) – Putney

Vance District Court (Stevenson) – Pelfrey, Watson/Hargrove

Granville Dispo Court (Thompson) – Sellars, Louis, Erdmann, Dickerson, Brickhouse

Franklin Trial Prep – Gardner, Gregory

 

Fri, July 7 Vance Juvenile Court (Thompson) – Louis

Franklin Trial Prep – Gardner, Gregory

 

Mon, July 10 Franklin Trial Court (Gray) – Gardner, Gregory, Johnson

Granville Trial Court (Hight) – Waters, Capps, Garrett

##Franklin District Court (Stevenson) – Louis, Roberson

Vance District Court (Burnette) – Sellars, Watson/Hargrove

Granville District Court (Thompson) – Erdmann, Dickerson

 

Tues, July 11 **Franklin District Court (Thompson) – Louis, Sellars, Roberson

Vance District Court (Stevenson) – Fuller, Watson/Hargrove

Warren Juvenile Court (Davis) – Putney

 

Wed, July 12 ##Granville District Court (Stevenson) – Louis, Dickerson

Warren District Court (Burnette) – Erdmann, Pelfrey, Raymond

 

Thurs, July 13 Vance District Court (Wilkinson) – Erdmann, Watson/Hargrove

Warren CMS Prep – Fuller

 

Fri, July 14 Warren CMS Prep – Fuller

 

Mon, July 17 Warren CMS Court (Rozier) – Fuller, Pendergrass, Raymond

Franklin District Court (Davis) – Gregory, Roberson

Vance District Court (Burnette) – Putney, Watson/Hargrove

**Granville District Court (Stevenson) – Sellars, Dickerson

Vance CMS Prep – Pelfrey, Erdmann, Louis

 

Tues, July 18 Vance Probation Court (Rozier) – Gregory, Pendergrass

Franklin District Court (Stevenson) – Sellars, Roberson

Vance District Court (Davis) – Louis, Fuller, Watson/Hargrove

Granville Juvenile Court (Burnette) – Putney

Vance CMS Prep – Pelfrey, Fuller, Erdmann, Louis

Vance County Clerk’s Office Hours – Attorneys – 2:00-4:00 pm – Gregory

 

Wed, July 19 Vance CMS Court (Rozier) – Pelfrey, Fuller, Erdmann, Louis, Pendergrass, Allen

Granville District Court (Burnette) – Sellars, Dickerson

**Warren District Court (Stevenson) – Putney, Raymond

Vance County Clerk’s Office Hours – Public – 2:00-4:00 pm – Gregory

 

 

Thurs, July 20      Vance CMS Court (Rozier) – Pelfrey, Fuller, Erdmann, Pendergrass, Allen

Franklin Juvenile Court (Davis) – Gregory

Vance Dispo Court (Stevenson) – Sellars, Putney, Louis, Watson/Hargrove

Franklin County Clerk’s Office Hours, 2:00-4:00 pm – Gregory

Franklin CMS Prep – Gregory

 

Fri, July 21 Franklin Dispo Court (Stevenson) – Fuller, Erdmann, Gregory, Tart, Roberson

Franklin CMS Prep – Gregory

 

Mon, July 24 Franklin CMS Court (Rozier) – Gardner, Gregory, Pendergrass, Johnson

Franklin District Court (Keith) – Sellars, Roberson

Vance District Court (Thompson) – Pelfrey, Watson/Hargrove

Granville District Court (Davis) – Fuller, Dickerson

Granville CMS Prep – Sellars, Putney

 

Tues, July 25 Franklin CMS Court (Rozier) – Gardner, Hunter, Pendergrass, Johnson

Franklin District Court (Stevenson) – Louis, Pelfrey, Roberson

**Vance District Court (Keith) – Erdmann, Watson/Hargrove

Warren Juvenile Court (Davis) – Fuller

Granville CMS Prep – Sellars, Putney

 

Wed, July 26 Granville CMS Court (Rozier) – Sellars, Putney, Pendergrass, Garrett

Granville District Court (Stevenson) – Gardner, Gregory, Dickerson

Warren District Court (Keith) – Fuller, Raymond

 

Thurs, July 27 Granville CMS Court (Rozier) – Sellars, Putney, Pendergrass, Garrett

Vance District Court (Stevenson) – Gardner, Watson/Hargrove

Vance Trial Prep – Pelfrey, Fuller

 

Fri, July 28 Vance Juvenile Court (Thompson) – Putney

Vance Trial Prep – Fuller

 

Mon, July 31 Vance Trial Court (Hobgood) – Pelfrey, Fuller, Allen

Franklin District Court (Burnette) – Gardner, Roberson

Vance District Court (Davis) – Putney, Watson/Hargrove

##Granville District Court (Keith) – Sellars, Dickerson

 

**mediator available**

##9:30 am regular docket, PLUS POSSIBLE 2:15 pm DWI docket##

Ridgeway Cantaloupe Festival coming up July 8th

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by Craig Hahn

It’s one of my favorite events of the year…the Annual Ridgeway Cantaloupe Festival. Join your friends and neighbors on 8 July from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Departments for this iconic festival. Enjoy cantaloupes, Brunswick stew, hot dogs and festive refreshments. Come see historical displays, kiddie rides, horseback rides, local entertainment and crafts! This event is free!

You can start the morning with a run in the Ridgeway 5K races. For information and registration, visit the Ridgeway Historical Society’s website. This race starts at 8:00 a.m. and the entry fee is just $25.00. You can also contact Tommy Tucker at 252-213-0429 or tucthm@aol.com.

The Ridgeway Historical Society promotes the history of Ridgeway and its people. It hosts the annual Ridgeway Cantaloupe Festival and Ridgeway 5K run as well as other fundraising events. It operates a museum of the history of its people and of the area.

See you on the 8th on US 1 in the heart of Ridgeway!

Local Teachers Attend Summer Professional Development Training

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Vance County Schools

For Immediate Release

June 20, 2017 

Career and Technical Education teachers in Vance County Schools are joining their counterparts from Granville, Franklin and Warren counties in a three-day “AMSTA Summer Cruisers” professional development training this week.

The educators are shown in the accompanying photo as they worked on an activity during their “Lean Manufacturing” training today in the Vance County Schools’ Administrative Services Center.

They began the training on June 19 and toured the Dill Air Controls and Revlon manufacturing plants in Granville County. They also heard presentations on youth services and how to best prepare students to be career and college ready. In addition to the manufacturing training session today, they also are touring the bioMerieux plant in Durham County. They will conclude their participation in the AMSTA event tomorrow at Franklinton High School in Franklin County, where they will meet with state commerce officials and listen to educational presentations including a session entitled, “School Choice and the Impact on Public Schools.”

VGCC to offer Enrollment Day on June 29

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Vance-Granville Community College will hold “Enrollment Day” on Thursday, June 29, from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m., at all four of its campuses.

During those extended hours, VGCC admissions, financial aid and advising staff members will be ready to assist anyone who is interested in enrolling at the college for the Fall 2017 semester, which starts on Aug. 14.

Students are encouraged to pre-register at www.vgcc.edu/enrollmentday.

Refreshments and free VGCC t-shirts will be available for incoming students on Enrollment Day while supplies last.

VGCC’s Main Campus is located on Poplar Creek Road in Vance County (about midway between Henderson and Oxford) at the intersection with Interstate 85 (Exit 209).

The Franklin County Campus is located just west of Louisburg on N.C. 56.

South Campus is on N.C. 56 between Creedmoor and Butner.

The Warren County Campus is located at 210 West Ridgeway Street (U.S. 158 Business) in Warrenton.

Registration for classes at VGCC is ongoing, through Aug. 10. For more information on enrolling for the fall, call (252) 738-3234 or visit any campus.

–VGCC–

Tammy Care Takes Home Maria Parham Health’s 2017 Mercy Award

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Maria Parham Health recently announced that Tammy Care has been recognized as the hospital’s 2017 Mercy Award winner. The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of LifePoint Health’s hospitals who profoundly touches the lives of others and best represents the spirit and values on which the company was founded.

The Mercy Award is an annual recognition program established in 2002 to honor the life of Scott Mercy, LifePoint’s founding chairman and chief executive officer. The award is considered the highest honor a LifePoint employee can receive.

“At Maria Parham Health, we share LifePoint’s commitment to Making Communities Healthier, and we recognize this is supported by the good work and service of our employees on and off the job,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “We are extremely proud to recognize Tammy Care for her efforts on behalf of our patients and our community. She goes above and beyond each and every day to ensure that every person she encounters receives the highest level of care and compassion.”

Tammy and her family moved to Henderson in 1999. She has been employed at Maria Parham Health for ten years and is an active member on many committees in the hospital including Sepsis, Infection Prevention, Emergency Management and Cardiac/Stroke Accreditation. Giving back to her community and volunteering for the betterment of others are two very important components to her lifestyle. Care prepares and serves meals the 2nd Sunday of every month to those in need, and every summer her and her husband take a week to work with middle and high school students on annual mission trips. Care is also active in many organizations in the community including the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, Llocal high school swim teams, and the local men’s shelter.

Each hospital winner, including Care, will be considered for LifePoint’s 2017 company-wide Mercy Award. The company-wide winner will be announced this summer and honored during a ceremony in Nashville, Tenn., in August, to which Care and all hospital winners are invited to attend.