Goodwill’s Annual Recognition Banquet was held on Thursday, November 5 at Benton Convention Center in downtown Winston-Salem. The event was attended by more than 300 employees, donors, partner agency representatives, volunteers and corporate partners.
Keynote speaker Susan Cameron, chief executive of Reynolds American Inc., applauded the responsible business operations of Goodwill that efficiently direct revenue in support of our mission. The evening was emceed by Dave Goren, executive director of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association & Hall of Fame.
Awards were presented to the following community partners:
- Corporate Donor of the Year: Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP
- Employer of the Year: Mission Health
- Partner Agency of the Year: Piedmont Triad Regional Council
- Special Recognition: Sindy Martin, Smartin International, Inc.
- Special Recognition: Dylan Neal, Suit Yourself
Goodwill also honors employees who exemplify the company’s five corporate values. A short video highlighted the employees’ accomplishments, and each was presented with a plaque. The recipients of the Employee Recognition Awards were:
- Integrity: Jamie Hawkins (Facilities)
- Excellence: Retail Associate Alex Merrell (West Hendersonville Retail)
- Accountability: Joe Jones (Asheville IT)
- Innovation: The E-Commerce Department (Statesville)
- Collegiality: Sandy Johnson (University Parkway Retail)
In addition, Board of Trustees member Linda Wood was honored for her six years of service. The 11 recipients of the Dr. Bob H. Green Scholarships were announced; the scholarships assist children of Goodwill employees who are pursuing higher education.
The evening culminated with videos of our Achiever of the Year, Henry Thornton, who contributes greatly to our mission of serving people with disabilities in his role as van driver for the Community Access Program in Asheville; and Graduate of the Year Linda Roberts, who overcame significant personal obstacles to become a successful personal care assistant with Home Instead Senior Care in Wilkesboro.
View the videos on our YouTube channel and Facebook page:
- Henry: https://youtu.be/A8bYxkqXBKo
- Linda: https://youtu.be/HNUDk68jfb8
- Goodwill Industries of Northwest NC Facebook page: www.facebook.com/GoodwillNWNC
View pictures from the banquet on our Flickr page at www.flickr.com/GoodwillNWNC