Raleigh, N.C.
Oct 17, 2025
Today Governor Josh Stein announced the winners of the Governor’s NCWorks Awards of Distinction for 2025. A high school health career training program, a manufacturer, a partnership supporting a major economic development project, and five individual North Carolinians received awards for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions related to workforce development. The award recipients were recognized on October 15 and October 16 during ceremonies held in Greensboro as part of the 38th annual NCWorks Partnership Conference.
“This year’s outstanding honorees represent what makes North Carolina strong: talented, hard-working people, innovative partnerships, community-oriented businesses, and strong educational institutions,” said Governor Stein. “These award recipients are further proof that when it comes to workforce development, no state will outwork North Carolina.”
The NCWorks Partnership Conference, organized by the N.C. Department of Commerce, brought together almost 700 workforce development professionals from across the state. Attendees represented local workforce boards, NCWorks Career Centers, state and federal government, education organizations, community-based organizations, community colleges, the private sector, and labor.
The Governor’s NCWorks Awards of Distinction honor outstanding examples from the state’s workforce development system, including the students and jobseekers who receive training, the professionals who provide career services, and the employers and other organizations that support a skilled workforce.
This year’s recipients included:
- Outstanding Innovative Partnership: Gaston College’s Lincoln County Health Academy. The Lincoln County Health Academy, launched in the fall of 2024, is the result of education, health care, and economic development partners working together to address a critical shortage of health professionals in Lincoln County. Gaston College, Lincoln County Schools, Atrium Health Lincoln, and the Lincoln Economic Development Association/Lincoln County Rotary Student Fund (“Rotary Rooted”) are united by a shared mission: to build a sustainable, local talent pipeline that feeds into high-demand health care careers. The Academy seeks to increase the number of qualified health care workers in Lincoln County, reduce barriers to entry into these careers, and ensure students graduate with industry-recognized credentials, job readiness, and direct links to employment or continued post-secondary education. What makes this partnership truly innovative is the introduction of North Carolina’s first-ever Practical Nursing (PN) program available to high school students. The summer after students graduate high school, they are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) and enter the workforce directly – debt-free and career-ready. The academy currently serves 36 students, including eight from the inaugural Practical Nursing cohort and 28 who enrolled in the second cohort.
- Outstanding Employer: American & Efird LLC of Mount Holly. With more than 130 years of history in North Carolina, American & Efird (A&E) has shown a consistent commitment to community engagement and workforce development. A&E regularly participates in the NCWorks system’s various job fairs and rapid response sessions, as well as other community outreach events. A&E’s engagement with educational institutions, such as Gaston County Schools and Gaston College, has nurtured future talent through internships and technical training programs. The company has recently partnered with the correctional system to provide justice-involved individuals with a structured opportunity to reenter the workforce, gain valuable skills, and rebuild their lives, demonstrating this employer’s belief in second chances and community reintegration. To develop and empower its own employees, A&E has provided a range of programs and trainings, including Mental Health Awareness, First Aid Certification, language courses, safety training, CPR certification, and leadership development courses. A&E has used the workforce system’s Incumbent Worker Training program funds to upskill current employees. The company is known for offering a supportive work environment, family-sustaining wages, and comprehensive benefits.
- Outstanding Economic Impact: Future of the Automotive Community Toyota Strategies (FACTS). This partnership involving GuilfordWorks, the N.C. Department of Commerce, eight local NCWorks Career Centers in the Piedmont Triad Prosperity Zone, and Toyota Battery Manufacturing has supported the workforce needs of the local manufacturing sector. The partners worked with Guilford Technical Community College and Randolph Community College, as well as Hub 4 Hope, a faith-based organization, to help with conducting outreach and connecting with jobseekers. The project included developing and implementing a strategic plan for assessment and recruiting events, spanning multiple counties and fostering a regional approach to workforce development while maintaining strong communication between stakeholders. These efforts have facilitated the hiring of 1,500 workers for Toyota as part of the company’s plans to invest a total of $13.9 billion and create more than 5,000 jobs at the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite. NCWorks staff received training on Toyota’s hiring processes, business culture, and steps for successful referrals. Additionally, each center hosted a “Day of Work” event at which jobseekers could meet company representatives, helping to demystify the application and assessment procedures.
- Outstanding Adult: Brittany Harper of Forest City. After moving to North Carolina to make a fresh start for herself and her six children, Harper enrolled in workforce training services through NCWorks. With this support, while also working and raising her children as a single parent, Harper overcame numerous obstacles and successfully completed the Practical Nursing program at Cleveland Community College. She more recently returned to the college for additional training to become a Registered Nurse. She chose to pursue a career in the medical field in order to make a meaningful impact on patients’ lives, offering compassionate care combined with her technical skills. Harper has received Dean’s List honors and the Outstanding Student Award from the CCC Nursing program, and she was inducted into the National Technical Honor Society. She has also volunteered in the community as a basketball coach and as a tutor. Her future aspirations include completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at Gardner-Webb University and becoming a midwife.
- Outstanding Young Adult: Haylee Van Deusen of Robbinsville. Van Deusen completed her GED at Tri-County Community College and soon learned that the college offered tuition-free Nurse Aide certification as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She completed that program, which allowed her to find employment as a CNA at Graham Nursing and Rehabilitation and to find her true calling in life. Determined to continue to advance in her health care career pathway, Van Deusen began the Associate Degree Nursing program at Tri-County Community College while still working full-time. In 2024, she began participation in workforce training services through NCWorks at Macon Program for Progress, and this support helped her to graduate in 2025. Van Deusen then secured employment as a Registered Nurse with LifePoint Health at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. While her early life was marked by significant challenges, prompting her to run away from home at age 16, Van Deusen has demonstrated maturity, positivity, and resilience, serving as an inspiration to her fellow Nursing students.
- Outstanding Teen: Genesis Lam of Shelby. Lam participated in the NCWorks NextGen youth program of Foothills Workforce Development Board while attending Crest High School. Even while facing numerous hardships, Lam has remained committed to her education and personal growth. Named “Student of the Month” in April 2025, she has excelled academically. Lam identified funeral service as her future career path, and the NCWorks NextGen program provided her with an internship at Robert Morgan Funeral and Cremation Service in Shelby. She thrived in this work-based learning experience, demonstrating compassion, a deep interest in the field, and a desire to help others during some of life’s most difficult moments. To enable Lam to participate in the internship, school employees and her youth program career advisor helped coordinate transportation for her. Since graduating from high school, Lam has enrolled in the Funeral Service Education program at Fayetteville Technical Community College with a goal of becoming a licensed funeral director.
- Outstanding Customer Service in Workforce Development – Wayne Daves Award: Anthony “Tony” Simpson of Lincolnton. Simpson serves as the Career Center Leader for the NCWorks Career Center in Lincoln County and has more than 22 years of service with the State of North Carolina. He is known for his dedication to continuous improvement, innovative outreach, strong collaboration, thoughtful communication, and professionalism. Beyond his significant role at the career center, Simpson has also been active in a wide range of organizations that are critical to workforce and community development, serving on boards such as the Centralina Workforce Development Board, Lincoln Economic Development Association, Lincoln County Schools Business Advisory Board, Lincoln Area Human Resource Association, and the Lincolnton-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce as an Ambassador. Throughout the past year, his work has focused heavily on community engagement and proactive solutions for individuals facing barriers to employment. Simpson has partnered with schools to conduct mock interviews and deliver career presentations, helped plan the Lincoln County Job Fair, participated in the Lincoln County Drug Prevention & Recovery Coalition, and contributed to the Lincoln County Work First planning process.
- Outstanding Private Sector Workforce Development Board Member – Bill Ragland Award: Rodney Carson of Cary. Carson, principal engagement manager for SAS, Inc., is a longtime member of the Capital Area Workforce Development Board, where he previously served as vice-chair. He has also served as Vice-President and President of the North Carolina Association of Workforce Development Boards (NCAWDB), where he continues to advocate for innovative solutions and policies that drive workforce excellence and employer engagement, bringing a unique blend of strategic vision and operational insight drawn from his private sector background. In 2021, Carson was appointed by Governor Cooper to serve on the NCWorks Commission, the state-level workforce board. Before coming to North Carolina, he served on a workforce development board in Polk County, Florida. Carson has more than 25 years of experience in roles related to economic development, strategic development, organizational development, and strategic partnership development in non-profits, the public sector and Fortune 500 companies.
####
This is a WIOA Title I program/project, which is 100 percent supported by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor as part of an award to North Carolina totaling $66,329,591