George W. Hill Correctional Facility Celebrates National Correctional Professionals Week

Released: May 10, 2024

George W. Hill Correctional Facility Celebrates National Correctional Professionals Week with Awards and Recognition Ceremony

The George W. Hill Correctional Facility, led by Prison Warden Laura Williams and Chief Deputy Warden Adam Smith, hosted an Awards and Recognition Ceremony attended by members of Delaware County Council, the Jail Oversight Board, the County Solicitor's Office, and GWH facility staff. The event, held on the facility grounds, honored the dedication and hard work of the staff during National Correctional Professionals Week, celebrated annually during the first full week of May (May 5-11).

“The contributions of our correctional staff are immense and often go unrecognized in the broader community,” said Delaware County Council Member Kevin Madden. “This ceremony not only highlights their dedication but also reinforces our commitment to ensuring their efforts are celebrated.”

The ceremony began with a service led by Chaplain Cokelia Dunn and concluded with a poignant moment as Raymond Richards played Taps. The service honored 43 staff members of GWH who have passed away during their tenure, including Sergeant Thomas Bowles who passed away earlier this year.

The awards ceremony featured “Mission Hero Awards” that recognized employees who exemplify the agency’s 14 core institutional values—Integrity, Courage, Ethics, Honor, Respect, Service, Duty, Professionalism, Innovation, Transparency, Accountability, Sustainability, Equity, and Correctional Excellence.

In addition to the 14 core value-based Mission Hero Awards, Warden Williams recognized GWH’s “Supervisor of the Year,” and two additional awards—the GWH "Correctional Employee of the Year” and “Correctional Officer of the Year” named in memory of Deborah Dunlap and Kevin Regan, two highly respected and beloved staff members who died during their tenure at GWH.

The nominations were provided by employees of the institution who took the opportunity to recognize role models at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility.

2024 Mission Hero Award winners include:

• Integrity: Correctional Officer Briana Artis
• Courage: Correctional Officer Briana Allen
• Ethics: Video Court Services Supervisor Raven Haggerty
• Honor: Lieutenant Jesse Moody
• Respect: Correctional Officer Aliyah Enix
• Service: Administrative Assistant Kaitlyn May
• Duty: Correctional Officer Hope Garman
• Professionalism: Correctional Officer Qunita Warren
• Innovation: MIS Manager Bryan Held
• Transparency: Case Manager Michael Heneghan
• Accountability: Correctional Officer Bryant Wilmer
• Sustainability: Grievance Coordinator Susan Sendall
• Equity: Correctional Officer Augustine Sieh
• Correctional Excellence: Correctional Officer Dylan Dunne
• Correctional Employee of the Year (In Memoriam of Deborah Dunlap): Records Technician Beth Curry
• Correctional Officer of the Year (In Memoriam of Kevin Regan): Correctional Officer Keshana Marshall
• Supervisor of the Year: Lieutenant Jarred McCafferty

Council extends congratulations and gratitude to the award recipients. These skilled law-enforcement professionals work outside the daily attention of the general public, but their work is vital in maintaining a safe correctional facility for those in our custody and in ensuring the public safety at large.

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