Rozier and Kay honored with top awards; teammates honored for 50 and 40 years of service
Legal Affairs and Risk Management Senior Specialist Luci Rozier was named the 2023 winner of the John D. Drake Distinguished Service Award.
Facility Services Director Karen Kay was named the 2023 winner of the W. Reid Caldwell, Jr., Distinguished Leadership Award.
UNC Health Southeastern President and CEO Chris Ellington, far right, congratulates, from left, Inpatient Clinical Assistant Archie McRae and Maintenance Mechanic Michale Davis for 40 years of service, and Patient Registrar Anne Marie Hendren for 50 years of service.
Legal Affairs and Risk Management Senior Specialist Luci Rozier was named the 2023 winner of the John D. Drake Distinguished Service Award, and Facility Services Director Karen Kay was named the 2023 winner of the W. Reid Caldwell, Jr., Distinguished Leadership Award during UNC Health Southeastern’s annual service awards banquet held Thurs., May 30 in the hospital cafeteria.
Patient Registrar Anne Marie Hendren was honored for 50 years of service to the organization. Four teammates were also honored for 40 years of continuous service: Maintenance Mechanic Michael Davis, Inpatient Clinical Assistant Archie McRae, Clinical Nutrition Manager Patricia Ramsaur, and Phlebotomist Levern Graham.
“Luci is always approachable with a smile on her face,” said UNC Health Southeastern Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Renae Taylor during the Drake award presentation. “She is a constant encourager--even if things may seem negative, she finds a way to turn them into a positive. She celebrates wins and works hard to find ways to implement improvements when needed. Even if the situation becomes difficult, she remains respectful and professional in all situations.”
Rozier is the 37th person to be named winner of the Drake Award, which was established by the Board of Trustees in 1988 to recognize exceptional service by employees. The Drake award was named in honor of the late John D. Drake, who retired as head cook in 1984 after 38 years of service.
To qualify for the Drake award, an employee must demonstrate high standards for personal performance on the job, loyalty and dedication to the organization, an excellent attendance record, respect by fellow workers, leadership skills, and a caring attitude to fellow employees and guests of the organization.
Rozier is a native and resident of Lumberton and has worked for the health system for 24 years. She is married to Paul and has two children, John Paul and Haleigh, and three grandchildren.
To qualify for the Caldwell award, which was established in June 2016 in honor of former Vice President and Government Affairs Officer Reid Caldwell, a UNC Health Southeastern leader must serve at the manager level or higher with five or more years of service and must exemplify the fulfillment of the mission, vision, values, and standards of behavior of the organization while serving as a mentor to other leaders, removing barriers and contributing to a learning and advancing organization.
“Karen demonstrates a high standard of integrity and exceptional leadership qualities,” said Vice President and Chief Engagement Officer Patrick Ebri, PhD., during the award presentation. “Some examples include coming in early and working late, with a talent for multi-tasking. She remains available to the organization, even during her time off. She ran her department without a director for two years, keeping the department running efficiently through several leadership changes.”
Kay is a native of Virginia and resides in Lumberton. She has worked for the organization for 38 years. Before joining the Facilities Management team, she served in leadership roles with the health system’s Gibson Cancer Center and Community Alternatives Program.
Rozier and Kay were awarded framed certificates and Kindle Scribe digital notebooks as part of their respective awards. Their names will also be added to plaques that are permanently displayed in the medical center’s main corridor.
Previous winners of the Drake award are: 1988, Julia Harris; 1989, Addie Mae Caple; 1990, Beatrice Leggett and Vashti Pittman; 1991, Thelma Jean Reeves; 1992, Paula McLean; 1993, Shirley Thompson; 1994, Sonya Oxendine; 1995, Terry Carter; 1996, Vera McDowell; 1997, Jimmy Page; 1998, James E. Jones; 1999, JoAnn Falls and Myrtle Oxendine; 2000, Patricia Davis; 2001, Sherri Hayes; 2002, Doris Madden; 2003, Mary Catherine Buie; 2004, Noel Bounds; 2005, Cynthia George; 2006, Rhonda Carter; 2007, Anne Marie Hendren; 2008, Myrtle Wilcox; 2009, Audrey Cox; 2010, Bryan Hilbourn; 2011, Merry Hardin; 2012, Gerard McRae; 2014, Jeff Edge; 2015, Lisa A. Hunt; 2016, Lori Corbett; 2017, Jeanine Lawson; 2018, Phillip Knecht; 2019, Heather McQueen; 2020, Stephanie Smith; 2021, Sherry Edwards, and 2022, Jeramie Crowder.
Previous winners of the Caldwell award are: 2016, Elizabeth Kirschling; 2017, Cynthia George; 2018, Jonathan Everson; 2019, Steve Elgin; 2020, Suzanne Jackson; 2021, Eric Locklear; and 2022, Amanda Crabtree.
