The Town of Hillsborough recognized 23 employees for innovation and service excellence demonstrated in 2025.

Town Manager Eric Peterson presented 3 gold and 10 bronze awards during a ceremony at Orange County’s Whitted Human Services Center. Hillsborough implemented the awards program in 2008 to highlight and reward ideas and actions of employees that go beyond their job expectations.

“Town employees consistently find ways to solve problems, improve service, streamline tasks and help people,” Peterson said. “It’s always great to learn how employees go beyond what’s expected or make operations run smoother.”

Honorees received a trophy and monetary award. Recipients of gold awards also received an extra day of vacation leave. Learn more about those who made the highest impact below and see the full list of awards recipients on the Innovation and Service Excellence Awards page.

Gold Awards

This year, two teams received gold awards for their service during Tropical Storm Chantal and one individual received the award for completing a statewide risk accreditation program, saving the town thousands of dollars. 

Risk Review Accreditation

Police Management and Accreditation Coordinator Marshall Grayson completed the North Carolina League of Municipalities’ Risk Review, a complex accreditation program, producing one of the most organized submissions the league had seen. His work is expected to save the town about $15,000 each year in insurance costs.

Tropical Storm Chantal

Last July, over 10 inches of rain fell on Hillsborough during Tropical Storm Chantal, causing severe flooding. During the storm, many town staff members went beyond the normal call of duty to return town services to normal and to keep residents informed.

Water Treatment Plant Recovery — Staff from the Water Treatment Plant and Engineering Services Division worked long hours to bring the plant back online in just six days. Their work included dragging hoses through ankle‑deep mud and setting up pumps.

• Water Treatment Plant — Operator in Responsible Charge Sam Dunevant; Water Plant Operators III Jacob Hamlin, Malcolm Hester, Howard Hobson and Randall Lloyd; Water Plant Operator II Curtis Watkins; and Plant Maintenance Mechanic I Chad Wilson
• Engineering Services — Construction Project Coordinator Lucas Cates, Engineering Services Manager Bryant Green and Utilities Inspector Terry Rich

Emergency Communications — Senior Communications Specialist Cheryl Sadgrove and Communications Specialist JC Leser‑McMinn provided fast, accurate and dependable communication to residents during the storm, working long hours all week to keep the community informed.

Nominations

Community members can recommend town employees for an award by completing the nomination form available on the Innovation and Service Excellence Awards page. The next round of the awards program will cover work performed in 2026.