Catawba County News
County Employees Honored During Annual Recognition Celebration
Published: October 25, 2024
Catawba County recognized several employees for exceptional performance during its annual employee recognition celebration Oct. 25.
Sarah McElhone, a Library Services Specialist, was selected by her peers as the county’s Employee of the Year. McElhone has served the county for 5 years.
As stated in her nomination, “She goes above and beyond by creating a welcoming and supportive environment for both patrons and staff. Sarah is deeply involved in community service, particularly with the homeless, offering assistance in finding essential services and employment resources. As the notary at the library, she ensures legal documents are processed correctly with kindness and thoroughness. She leads the ‘Homework Helpers’ [AM1] program, connecting elementary students with high school volunteers to improve academic skills. Sarah also developed the beloved ‘Tales in the Garden’ children’s program, which includes engaging activities and community interactions.”
McElhone was among eight finalists selected from the 28 employees nominated for the County’s Employee of the Year award. Other finalists were Lynn Benicken, Social Worker Supervisor II, Foster Care Supervisor’ Social Services; Johnathan Franklin, Solid Waste Maintenance Supervisor, Utilities & Engineering; Christa Hill, Accounting Specialist III, Finance; Dakota Nobles, Administrative Assistant II, Public Health; Jeremy Shelton, Park Ranger, Parks; Linda Smith, Social Worker Supervisor II, Foster Care Supervisor, Social Services; Laurie Wakefield, LINKS/Foster Care Social Worker, Social Services.
In addition to individual employee awards, Catawba County honored the Environmental Health Lead Investigation Team as the County’s Team of the Year. Selected by a panel of municipal managers, this award recognized the following County employees for identifying the cause of lead poisoning in children, a discovery that led to a significant nationwide product recall: Megan McBride, Scott Carpenter, Alicia Stein, Jodi Stewart, and Joshua Teague.
The Lead Investigation Team was selected as one of three finalists from the 9 teams nominated for the award. The other finalists were the Public Health Community Health Workers (comprised of County employees Rachel Dobson, Sao Vue, Emily Killian, and Elizabeth Barajas) and the Street Improvement Team (comprised of County employees Kate Foster, Malachi Fox, Tyler Garrison, Brian Myers, Pete Shonka, and Joshua Teague).