ATLANTA – The State Board of Pardons and Paroles has announced the agency’s awards for Community Impact Customer Service, Innovations, and Employee of the Year for 2022.

The awards were announced at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) in Forsyth.

The recipients of the agency awards are:

Katherine "Katie" Turner Employee of the Year Award – Clemency Division Senior Hearing Examiner Jacques Brown

Innovations “Forward Thinker” Award – Field Services Division Senior District Operations Manager Jenna James

Community Impact Inreach Customer Service Award – Clemency Division Assistant Team Lead Julia Richard

Community Impact Outreach Customer Service Award – Field Services Division District Operations Manager Marie Rothwein

Executive Director of Parole Chris Barnett says the employees are deserving of the recognition.

"These awards represent our agency's and our staff's dedication and commitment to Georgia and our citizens. The Board and leadership remain extremely proud of the agency's professional workforce serving the public," Barnett stated.

Parole Board Chairman Terry Barnard, Vice Chair Jacqueline Bunn, Board Members Brian Owens and David Herring, and leadership joined Executive Director Barnett in presenting the awards.

Employees reaching service milestones were recognized as well. They included twenty-two employees who work for the Parole Board and have worked for the state of Georgia for more than 30 years.

The Katherine “Katie” Turner Employee of the Year Award is given to an employee who consistently performs above and beyond what is required. This employee seeks out extra duties and assignments willingly and goes the extra mile without hesitation. Reliability, positivity, and self-motivation are qualities this employee exudes.

Jacques Brown is a Senior Hearing Examiner in the Clemency Division’s Critical Analysis Unit, which comes with an extra level of intensity. Brown maintains a very heavy workload and delivers accuracy and efficiency. Rating cases is a complex process, and Brown has honed his ability to teach, train and lead new and experienced hearing examiners. 

Jacques Brown is a tremendous asset to the Parole Board and the state of Georgia, both as a representative in the community and a leader in the office. He is exceptionally hard-working, loyal, dedicated, humble, and kind. His work ethic is impeccable. Even though he trains other staff three days a week and attends numerous offsite events, he remains focused on his responsibilities. He makes himself available to anyone and everyone who needs a question answered or needs help with an issue. He is the ultimate team player and a true asset to the Clemency Division and the agency.

The Katherine “Katie” Turner Employee of the Year Award recipient is Senior Hearing Examiner Jacques Brown.

Katherine "Katie" Turner Employee of the Year Award (About Katie Turner https://pap.georgia.gov/office-communications-news-publications-and-eve…)

 

Innovations “Forward Thinker” Award

The Innovations “Forward Thinker” Award is given to an employee who finds alternate, better, and more efficient ways of completing tasks or assignments. This award winner might generate new processes that improve the agency's operations or improvise to complete the assignment when faced with obstacles. 

Jenna James is a Senior District Operations Manager in the Field Services Division. She has always been an employee on the cutting edge of parole best practices. She possesses analytical and creative approaches to problem solving.

This was especially evident during the recent transition and training of the Scanning and Imaging Unit. James brought sound solutions to several issues related to the archiving of files, updating scanning folders, and monitoring the scan and audit of files process.

Jenna James was instrumental in making the agency’s new “End-Stage Decision Making Guidelines” operational.

This year’s Innovations “Forward Thinker” Award recipient is Senior District Operations Manager Jenna James.

 

Community Impact Inreach Customer Service Award

The Community Impact Inreach Customer Service Award is given to an employee who has positively impacted the agency by volunteering, caring, and completing tasks for fellow employees.

Julia Richard has served the agency and the citizens of Georgia for over 26 years. She is currently an Assistant Team Lead in the Clemency Division. She has been a great asset to the team and the agency.

Richard continuously looks for opportunities to assist others, both professionally and personally. When the team is down, she steps up without hesitation. When someone is in need, suffering a loss, or celebrating an achievement, she is there to support, comfort and care for her “Parole Family.”

The Community Impact Inreach Customer Service Award recipient is Clemency Division Assistant Team Lead Julia Richard. 

 

Community Impact Outreach Customer Service Award

The Community Impact Outreach Customer Service Award is given to the employee who consistently shows compassion and concern for the people and communities around them. This employee made a positive impact by volunteering and caring for others and making the world a better place for the recipients. 

Marie Rothwein is a District Operations Manager in the Field Services Division. She has an exemplary work record and her efforts to help those in need, many of which she does not know, goes beyond the call of duty. She volunteers for additional duties and contributes to various charitable functions.

Rothwein, who is a veteran of the United States Air Force, is very active in her church and community. This past year, instead of taking a vacation, she and her family spent a week supporting a retreat for families who have experienced the loss of a child. This non-profit charity is called “Chase the Victory," named after 16-year-old Chase McDaniel, who was fighting cancer and wanted to include, comfort, and encourage others who were going through battles of their own. Marie Rothwein has the same wonderful qualities.

The Community Impact Outreach Award recipient is District Operations Manager Marie Rothwein.

 

For more information about the State Board of Pardons and Paroles visit www.pap.georgia.gov or contact Steve Hayes, Director of Communications at 404-657-9450 or [email protected].