CYRILJEFFERSON MAYOR
Cyril Jefferson@highpointnc gov
VICKIEMCKIVER WARD1
Vickie McKiver@highpointnc gov
PATRICKHARMAN WARD4
Patrick Harman@highpointnc gov
BRITTMOORE MEMBERATLARGE
Britt Moore@highpointnc gov
Tyrone Johnson@highpintnc gov
TIMANDREW WARD5
Tim Andrew@highpointnc gov
AMANDACOOK MEMBERATLARGE
Amanda Cook@highpointnc gov
MONICAPETERS WARD3
Monica Peters@highpointnc gov
MICHAELHOLMES WARD6,MAYORPROTEM
Michael Holmes@highpointnc gov
The City of High Point has been named one of the National Civic League’s 2024 All-America City Award finalists.
The National Civic League’s All-America City Award has celebrated the best in American civic innovation since 1949. The award is bestowed on 10 communities annually and recognizes their work in addressing critical issues and creating stronger connections among residents, businesses, nonprofits and government leaders.
With the help of High Point
Discovered, a City of High Point employee committee submitted the award application, keeping in mind this year’s program theme of “strengthening democracy through local action and innovation. ” The application highlighted the collaborative communitywide effort to rebrand the city, the work that Thrive HP has done to strengthen and empower minority entrepreneurs and address economic disparities
and the efforts of the Greater High Point Food Alliance to address food insecurity in our community.
High Point was selected as one of 20 communities to participate in the second stage of the All-America City Award. This phase is an in-person event in Denver from June 7-9. A community delegation will be immersed in a dynamic program featuring workshops, panel discussions and peer learning sessions led by national thought leaders and practitioners.
The delegation will also share the story of the City’s application in a tenminute live presentation to be judged by a committee of civic engagement experts in the hopes of being named one of the 2024 All-American City Award winners.
More information on the program can be found at https://www.nationalcivicleague.org/america-city-award/.
Every year, High Point 911 gathers to honor and celebrate the incredible contributions of its telecommunicators around National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week at the annual Telecommunicators Banquet.
The banquet is a time to honor telecommunicators for the vital role they play in public safety that often goes unacknowledged.
At this year’s event, Ashley Garren was named Telecommunicator of the Year.
This is an annual public safety honor given to the telecommunicator who has demonstrated exceptional performance both professionally and personally. The winner exemplifies what it means to serve the community and our surrounding public safety agencies, striving to go above and beyond the daily routine whenever possible.
Ashley joined High Point in 2022, having previously served as a lieutenant with Randolph County 911 for 12 years. Since coming to High Point, she has shown a genuine and unwavering dedication to serving the community and an exceptional commitment to teamwork. Ashley has a compassionate approach and a willingness to go the extra mile, often motivating and encouraging her colleagues in times of need. She takes the time to listen and empowers others to succeed. Ashley’s positivity has been instrumental to the department’s morale.
Other nominees included Tyler Hilton, Seth Caldwell and Amanda Gardiner, all of whom were recognized for their dedication, service and commitment to their department and community.
The Matthew Brown Legacy Award, honoring the life and legacy of Master Telecommunicator Matthew Brown, was also presented at the event. The award represents the professionalism, good moral character, leadership, and outstanding impact that an individual has on building a stronger relationship between the community and those who serve it. This year’s winner was Captain Christopher O’Toole of the High Point Police Department.
Chris emphasizes relational leadership to create an environment where officers, both young and old, seek his counsel. He has led troops on the battlefield and officers in a riot, but above all else, he grounds himself by doing things like standing in the frigid cold to talk with a veteran struggling with mental illness and substance abuse. He volunteers at local shelters with his family and teaches a trauma healing course for first responders. Chris leaves a wide ripple effect of positive contributions to his team, his department and his community, and for that, he will always leave behind a legacy for years to come.
Others nominated were Tevon Womack of the Parks & Recreation Department and Sarah Nareau of the High Point Public Library. Both were recognized for the positive impact they make in their departments and for their willingness to go above and beyond for their community.
The High Point Historical Society hosted its April monthly program on April 17. This month's topic was "Industry in the Wood: Western North Carolina Furniture Manufacturing” by Richard Eller, author, professor and executive director of Redhawk Publications. Eller discussed his research on the history of western North Carolina furniture manufacturing.
Finding a way to involve people in a good story about the past to help them navigate their future is what drives Richard Eller as a historian, a teacher and a writer. During his tenure as a professor of history, he developed the HandsOnHistory program to take students to destinations “where history happened, ” like Gettysburg, the beaches of Normandy, Independence Hall and Selma, Alabama.
His work includes both documentaries and books. More recently, he wrote about the furniture industry in western North Carolina and is working on a triple biography of Civil War generals with Suzanne Mayo.
The program tied into the museum’s exhibition “Makers to Manufacturers: Furniture-Making in the Piedmont, 1830-1890, ” which recently opened and will run through the end of 2024. Visitors were able to view the exhibition after Eller’s presentation.
The Museum, in partnership with the National Library of Medicine, also hosted “Beer: Past to Present, ” a traveling exhibition dedicated to the science and medicinal technologies used to improve foods and beverages, including beer, on April 20.
At the event, Paddled South Brewery came to the Historical Park to sell their High Point Historical Society “1859” brew and others for attendees to enjoy. Additionally, Dr. Amanda Allen from the HPU History Department spoke on “The Divine Craft: The Sacra
Kearns Academy students were quick to complete three stream cleanups near their school since adopting the stream in October of last year. The Stormwater Division would like to recognize the Kearns Academy Chapter of Skills USA, Girls Who Code Club and the National Technical Honors Society for donating their time to help protect our water quality here in High Point. The students love the opportunity to serve their community and are interested in hearing about other ways to get involved. Thank you, The Kearns Academy Walkway Cleanup!
The Stormwater Division is happy to announce that the five wonderful artists from the division’s storm drain art project have wrapped up painting storm drains at the High Point Public Library.
Last year, the Stormwater Division held a competition for local artists to win the chance to paint storm drains in the library’s parking lot in an effort to educate fellow citizens about stormwater pollution in an eye-catching and memorable way.
The artists whose designs were selected are Annalee Shaffer, Dbnaila, Natalie Lucas, Kris Najera and KD.
The Stormwater Division and Keep High Point Beautiful have had a blast working with the artists and the High Point Public Library to bring this project to life. Be sure to stop by the library and check them out!
The City of High Point was among 24 North Carolina jurisdictions to earn recognition in the North Carolina City & County Communicators (NC3C) 2024 Excellence in Communications Awards. The City’s new brand won first place for best brand/logo.
The awards were announced on April 11, 2024, during NC3C’s annual conference. Professional communications peers judged 175 award program entries from the Minnesota Association of Government Commun
"To win an award within our community of exceptional communicators is truly a remarkable achievement, ” said NC3C President Kaisha Brown. “Each submission is a testament to the dedication and excellence of city and county professionals. ”
The judges appreciated the logo’s “clean and catchy” design and were especially impressed with the comprehensive brand style guide, which explains the brand premise and provides resources for correct usage and application within the community.
On Saturday, April 6, nearly 800 residents attended the City’s first Spring Into Summer Family Resource Fair. Families from across the city met with community agencies that assist with health, law, education and much more.
Uniquely, the fair was the first of its kind in High Point to center around organizations
that offer summer youth activities, such as basketball camps, computer coding camps, farming mentorships and swim lessons. At the fair, parents could talk with nearly 40 youth enrichment providers, enabling them to compare different programs and find the best fit for their kids’ interests and development.
In addition to talking with the community agencies, kids in attendance could also play games and make crafts provided by the student clubs at High Point University. Parents could also register their children for kindergarten. As a special bonus, every person in attendance received a Chick-Fil-A boxed lunch provided by Guilford Parent Academy.
The fair was planned in partnership with High Point Schools Partnership, the High Point University Center for Community Engagement, shift ed and Guilford County Schools.
The annual Guilford/High Point Special Olympics Track & Field event was held on Tuesday, April 23, at the High Point Athletic Complex.
Over 300 athletes representing 30 classes from 19 Guilford County Schools participated, supported by well over 100 volunteers, including members of the High Point Police Department, High Point Parks & Recreation Park Rangers and High Point Parks & Recreation staff members.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics North Carolina is coming to High Point, and the High Point Police Department invites everyone to join in the fun!
Annually, more than 110,000 dedicated and compassionate law enforcement members carry the Flame of Hope, symbolizing courage and the celebration of diversity, uniting communities around the globe.
The local run is Thursday, May 23, and is open to the public to participate. It starts at the High Point Police Department at 8:30 a.m. and ends at Sheetz on NC-68. The route is 10.8 miles, but it is broken up into six separate relays. Individuals can run as many relays as they want or come cheer on the runners along the route. This is a great cause to support Special Olympics NC athletes from Guilford County.
Those interested can sign up to run here. The link can also be found pinned to the top of the High Point Police Department’s Facebook page.
The City of High Point celebrated National Lookalike Day with an employee twinning day. Employees were encouraged to wear identical outfits on April 19 and submit their photos to be entered in a contest. Once all photos were submitted, employees voted on their favorite sets of twins. Thank you to all our exceptional employees who participated in or voted for our Twinning Day competition, and congratulations to our winners!
KELLIE COUNCILMAN
Police Information Tech I to Lead Police Information Tech
CHARLES DIGGS
Local Codes Enforcement Officer I to CD Project Manager
KEEGAN HUFHAM Police Officer II to Master Police Officer I
ETHAN STEPP
Camp Ann Counselor to Camp Ann Assistant Director
JOEL WOODS II
Power Line Technician III to Power Line Crew Supervisor
QWINTAVIOUS ADAMS
Motor Equipment Operator I
CHRISTOPHER ANGELUCCI
Firefighter
COLTEN BAILEY
Firefighter
RYDER CECIL
Firefighter
ROBERTO DIAZ
Firefighter
MARSHALL DODD
Parks & Rec Groundskeepe
JOHN HENDERSON
Fleet Maintenance Technician II
NATHAN LAMBETH
Fire Prevention Education Officer
CHRISTOPHER LOUNSBURY
TATIANA NASCIMENTO
Utilities Service Dispatcher
GAUGE SHADRICK
Motor Equipment Operator I
JANICE SHAW
Parks & Rec Grillroom Atten
TROY SHOEMAKER
Firefighter
RYAN STEWART
Water/Sewer Technician I
SEAN STEWART
Planner
Parks & Rec Program Activity Leader
LOGAN WALKER
Firefighter
JUSTIN WRIGHT
