Madison County unveils 'Team Madison County' awards, honors county employees
Loading...
Summary
Madison County supervisors introduced the peer-nominated 'Team Madison County Awards' and presented six categories of honors to 10 individual winners and teams, recognizing emergency responders, human services staff and DMV employees for 2025 service and community work.
Madison County supervisors launched a peer-nominated recognition program and presented the inaugural Team Madison County Awards during their meeting, honoring individuals and teams across six categories.
The board established the awards to spotlight county employees’ “commitment, professionalism and compassion,” the board said when introducing the program. The county said it received nominations for about 30 individuals and teams and selected 10 winners across categories including Community Service, Leadership, Distinguished Team, Rising Star, Above and Beyond, and the Chairman’s Award.
The Community Service award went to members of the county’s mass mental health crisis team: Andrea Mitchell, Julie Mosley and Marcy Solis, nominated by Samantha Ratner. The board read nominees’ summaries highlighting the team’s role in providing immediate support and connecting residents to resources.
The Leadership Award was presented to Jenna Illingworth, identified in remarks as director of Madison County EMS. Speakers noted Illingworth’s leadership in opening three EMS stations, integrating student volunteers and building interagency relationships.
The Distinguished Team Award went to the Madison County DMV; nominators cited the office’s performance during the Real ID transition, noting long days and elevated customer demand and praising the DMV’s efficiency and customer service.
Two employees — Aiden Delaney (Child and Family Services) and Anthony Dardano Jr. (9‑1‑1) — received the Rising Star Award; nomination excerpts highlighted quick learning on the job and willingness to cover on-call duties.
The Above and Beyond Award recognized Veronica Bailey (Department of Social Services) and Kathy Chairs (Sheriff’s Office) for long-term service and consistent extra duties that nominators said strengthen county programs.
The Chairman’s Award was presented to Elizabeth Betty Spalding of the mental health department; nominators praised two decades of tireless service and frequent work beyond ordinary duties.
The board thanked the awards committee (which included representatives across departments) and staff who helped organize the ceremony. The presentations concluded before the board moved on to its preferred-agenda resolutions.
The meeting packet and spoken remarks listed nominees and nominators for each category; the awards were described in the meeting as peer nominated and peer selected. The program organizers said they plan to run the awards again next year.
