DOVER, DE - Governor Matt Meyer hosted the annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony today in honor of Delaware state employees during Public Service Recognition Week, May 4-10, 2025. The event recognized the exceptional dedication, innovation, and heroism demonstrated by public servants across state government.

“Every day Delaware’s public servants work hard to deliver results for the people of our state - often without seeking recognition. Today, we honored those who went above and beyond, bringing creativity, commitment, and courage to their work. I am proud to celebrate the outstanding individuals and teams who have made Delaware stronger, more innovative, and more responsive to the people we serve,” said Governor Matt Meyer.

“Our employees bring integrity, compassion, and excellence to their roles every day,” said Yvonne Anders Gordon, Department of Human Resources Secretary. “We are proud to honor just a few of those who go above and beyond to support Delawareans.”

Six individuals and nine teams of state employees were acknowledged for their excellence and commitment to public service during the 2024 calendar year in the following categories:

• Delaware Award for Excellence and Commitment in State Service
• Governor’s Team Excellence Awards: Champions Award and GEAR P3 Innovation and Efficiency Award
• GEAR P3 Trailblazer Award
• Delaware Award for Heroism

To view the ceremony, visit Public Service Recognition Week Awards Ceremony - YouTube.

Delaware Award for Excellence and Commitment in State Service Award

The Delaware Award for Excellence and Commitment in State Service Award is presented to up to five State of Delaware employees, or small teams of up to five employees, who demonstrate the highest standards of excellence and commitment in state service. Recipients of the 2024 award are:

• Katelynn Cahall, Department of Transportation
• Sherrie Downs, Kathleen Rees, and Micheala Vanderslice, Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families
• The Instructional Materials and Resource Center Team: Allen Frazier, Anne Lattanzi, Kathie Oberholtzer, Avery Peterson, and Matthew Tseronis, Department of Health and Social Services
• Sharay Knight, Court of Chancery
• Tina Wagner, Department of Health and Social Services

Governor’s Team Excellence Awards

This award category includes the GEAR P3 Innovation & Efficiency Award and the Champions Award. The Governor’s Team Excellence Awards are presented annually to teams of six to 20 state employees. These awards celebrate collaboration and highlight teams that use continuous quality improvement tools to exceed in leadership, team interaction and communication to provide exceptional customer service and measurable outcomes.

Champions Award

This award honors teams that show exceptional understanding of continuous quality improvement methods and deliver proven results that enhance efficiency, boost customer satisfaction, or reduce costs. Recipients of this award are:

• Bridge Design Competition Team - Department of Transportation
• Election Security Team - Department of Technology and Information, Delaware National Guard, and the Department of Elections.
• Division of Communications Team - Department of Safety and Homeland Security

GEAR P3 Innovation and Efficiency Award

This premier award recognizes teams that go beyond applying continuous improvement tools - they drive innovation, create best practices, and deliver proven results that are sustainable, scalable, and adaptable to other areas of government. These teams set the standard for excellence and serve as role models for others. The recipients of this award are:

• Combating Delaware’s Teacher Shortage Team - Department of Education
• Updated Retention Schedules Team - Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families

GEAR P3 Trailblazer Award

The GEAR P3 Trailblazer Award honors individuals or small teams of employees who have led the way in improving how State government works. Recipients are recognized for using continuous improvement tools to boost efficiency, enhance effectiveness, and strengthen accountability. Their work delivers measurable results and sets a standard that is impactful, sustainable, and adaptable across agencies. Recipients of the 2024 award are:

• Paul Huhn, Department of Transportation,
• DELLA Team: Nicole Brown, Jacob Carey, Tina LaFace, Mallory Taylor, and Jillian Troumouhis, Department of Transportation

The GEAR P3 Trailblazer Award and the GEAR P3 Innovation and Efficiency Award were established through the support of the Government Efficiency and Accountability Review (GEAR) Board and a Public-Private Partnership (P3) between the State of Delaware and the local business community. Corporate sponsors include: Buccini Pollin Group (BPG), Corporation Services Company (CSC), DuPont, Highmark BCBS Delaware, JP Morgan Chase, M&T Bank, Morris James LLP, The Precisionists Inc. (TPI), W.L. Gore & Associates, and WSFS Bank.

“As chairman of the GEAR P3 Taskforce for the State of Delaware’s GEAR initiative, I am thrilled that the private sector, with the strong backing of the Delaware Business Roundtable and the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, has continued to partner with The State of Delaware on the Public-Private Partnership (P3) Governor’s Innovation & Efficiency, and Trailblazer Awards. This program continues the efforts towards a better government by incentivizing innovation and recognizing state employees and teams on outstanding accomplishments,” said Ernie Dianastasis, CEO of The Precisionists (TPI).

Delaware Award for Heroism

The Delaware Award for Heroism recognizes state employees who have demonstrated outstanding judgment, exceptional courage, extraordinary decisiveness and presence of mind, and unusual swiftness of action, regardless of his or her own personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect human life and/or property. The 2024 recipients are:

• Nicholas Geannakakes, Delaware State Police
• David Cross, Yvonne Dickerson, Kelley Diem, Lauren Tulloch, and Cressa Vines, Department of Transportation
• Jennifer Gabriele, Department of State