The North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) honored 31 employees at its annual Badge of Excellence Ceremony on August 21, held at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh. The Badge of Excellence is the department’s highest honor and has been awarded since 2015 to recognize outstanding contributions by NCDPS staff to state government and the people of North Carolina.
“Today’s honorees don’t just speak about service and sacrifice. They live these principles daily, often without recognition or fanfare,” said Secretary Eddie Buffaloe Jr. during the ceremony.
Employees were nominated by their peers and selected by a committee. Awards were presented in six categories: customer service, human relations, innovation and efficiency, outstanding achievement and performance, public service and volunteerism, and safety and heroism.
In the customer service category, Grace Clougherty from the Governor’s Crime Commission was recognized for her dedication over 25 years, including creating checklists to prevent process delays and supporting various teams beyond her regular duties. Leslie Malikowski, a Juvenile Court Counselor with Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP), was honored for her work both in managing cases and volunteering at Alexander Juvenile Detention Center.
Maj. Victor Basher of the National Guard received recognition in human relations for his leadership during Hurricane Helene recovery efforts at Joint Task Force Site Pisgah. His coordination helped identify 48 previously unidentified individuals who died during the hurricane.
The innovation and efficiency category included several recipients. Teams from JJDP Research and DIT JJDP Application Development developed an interactive dashboard providing quarterly juvenile justice data from all counties in North Carolina. Erin Hickey and Alex Milburn created a secure web portal for submitting juvenile records requests that reduced processing times significantly. Sandi Sullivan from the ABC Commission improved reporting processes with a customized tracker system, while Kelly Lodge from the NC Office of Recovery and Resiliency led operational changes that cut costs within her department.
Outstanding achievement awards went to Eric Smith (Office of Special Investigations) and Dawson Spencer (Office of Policy and Strategic Planning) for their work after Hurricane Helene verifying missing persons reports when communication systems were down. The State Human Resources Office team managed payroll operations for more than 4,300 National Guard members deployed during hurricane response efforts—often working long hours to ensure timely pay. Richard Brooks brought new educational programming to Cumberland Juvenile Detention Center; Lisa St. Clair Patton provided logistical support during evacuations despite being displaced herself; Col. Edward W. Timmons stabilized operations at Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy by filling multiple leadership roles simultaneously.
Sherri S. Hill was recognized for public service through extensive volunteer work with organizations such as Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Rowan Helping Ministries, Communities in Schools of Davidson County/Lexington City Schools, among others.
Safety and heroism awards went to Sgt. Jeffrey Moorhouse, Sgt. Derick Proctor, Officer Davey Schaffer (State Capitol Police), who rescued individuals from a burning vehicle following an accident on December 9, 2023; Trooper Scott M. Casner (State Highway Patrol), who rendered aid after witnessing a multi-vehicle collision while off-duty on July 5, 2024.
Secretary Buffaloe congratulated all recipients for their commitment to serving North Carolina communities.
