ABC11 Together highlights celebration of longtime state employees

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina state agencies celebrated the remarkable achievement of 21 state employees who have dedicated 45 years to careers in public service.

The annual Caswell Award ceremony took place at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh.

The honorees started their jobs in 1974 when the North Carolina population was 5.47 million. As their careers in state government grew, so did the population to a 2019 total of 10.51 million people.

"Many workers think about retiring as soon as they are eligible, but Caswell Award honorees demonstrate an extraordinary commitment and dedication to public service," said Barbara Gibson, Director of the Office of State Human Resources. "With their deep institutional knowledge, they have contributed substantially to a remarkable scope of work across state agencies - all for the betterment of the people of our great state."

In total, the 21 state employees have dedicated more than 945 years to the people of North Carolina at nine state agencies.

The award is a tribute to North Carolina's first governor, Richard Caswell.

Recipients of the 2019 Caswell Awards include:

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: Timothy A. Batten, Kay Glenn Harris

Department of Commerce: Raymond E. Grace, Leonard T. Tyson

Department of Health and Human Services: James L. Butler, Andrew L. Coward, Steven Freedman, Tom Leeder, Barbara Roseboro Myers, Rosalie A. Pugh, Susie Sherrod-Sanders, Robert V. Young III

Judicial Branch: Frederick G. Lind

Department of Natural and Cultural Resources: Martha Battle Jackson

Office of State Human Resources: Ronald C. Condrey

Department of Public Safety: Cleveland Allen Graham, Patricia C. Jackson

Department of Public Instruction, Governor Morehead School: Frederick McEachern

Department of Transportation: William L. Faulk, Stephen W. Jackson, Douglas Sossamon