Awards & Recognition

Reach for the StarsReaching for the Stars is New Hanover County’s way for you to share your best experience with our employees' service to you! Tell us about your encounters with employees’ service in the community and on the job by nominating them for either the Community Service Award or the Stellar Award. New Hanover County Government has a promise to serve you through a model of good governance with the best possible customer / citizen service. We hope that you will find this opportunity as a way to recognize their efforts. Thank you in advance for letting us know how we are doing and lifting up those great examples of public service and letting their light shine for others to see!


Our Mission

New Hanover County is committed to providing equitable opportunities and exceptional public services through good governance to ensure a safe, healthy, secure and thriving community for all.

Our Vision

A vibrant, prosperous, diverse coastal community, committed to building a sustainable future for future generations.

Shared Values

Professionalism - Equity - Integrity - Innovation - Stewardship - Accountability

Stellar Awards are awarded to employees who have excelled on the job in ways aligned with the county's shared values of professionalism, integrity, innovation, stewardship, equity, and accountability. These awards are given to any county employee who exemplify one or more of these values in their work.

Employees are nominated by a coworker or citizen, and the county's Recognition Committee reviews applications for the final awards. Stellar Awards are given monthly and at the end of the year. All Stellar Award recipients will be invited to the Reaching for the Stars Banquet. In addition to the recognition, each recipient of the award will receive a certificate, a star pin signifying the shared values embodied and 4 hours of leave.

The Hall of Honor Award is the county's highest award. This award represents the achievement of attaining Stellar Awards for all six shared values. Recipients of the Hall of Honor Awards will be invited to that year's recognition banquet, receive a trophy that signifies their achievement, and 8 hours of time off.

Service Awards are given to employees who have served with New Hanover County for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30+ years.

You serve the community every day just by being a New Hanover County employee, but so many of us serve outside the scope of our jobs by being engaged in our community in other ways. The Community Service Award allows us to nominate our coworkers and give recognition to a county employee who has served the community through volunteering, mentoring, serving on a non-county appointed board, civic engagement, charity work, fundraising, etc. Community Service Award recipients will be invited to the Reaching for the Stars Recognition Banquet and will receive a certificate.

Every day, county employees do things for each other that can be special and powerful. A “High Five” electronic message is a way to recognize and thank our co-workers for helping their team and the public. Employees can send an electronic message to share your appreciation for something your co-worker has done, and to make their day in the process. Send as many as you like, as often as you like. Make these a part of the way you share the good that happens each and every day! 

Awards Gallery

New Hanover County celebrates the many achievements and outstanding public service of county employees through several awards and recognitions each month. These employees are making an impact, aligned with the county's strategic plan, and creating better health and public safety, superior education and workforce, and intelligent growth and economic development. New Hanover County is grateful for every county employee and for the work they do to keep our citizens safe, healthy, and secure.

Stellar Awards are given to employees who have excelled on the job in ways aligned with the county's shared values. The Hall of Honor, which is the county's highest honor, is awarded to employees who have achieved a Stellar Awards in all six of the county's shared values. Service Awards are given to employees who have worked with New Hanover County for five, ten, 15, 20, 25, and 30+ years. The Board of Commissioners recognizes service awards monthly.

New Hanover County Awards & Recognition

Nominate

New Hanover County’s employees are dedicated to serving the public both on the job and outside the scope of their normal duties as County employees. Do you know an NHC employee who has served the community, provided outstanding customer service, and demonstrated efforts toward working to make our County a better place?  Nominate an employee today and recognize these public servants for their public service! There are two ways to do this: The Community Service Award and the Stellar Award. See which nomination best suits your desire to recognize a New Hanover County Employee for her or his public service.