KATE MARSHALL

Describe your role.

“I serve the city of Southport as the Animal Protective Services Officer and head of the department. My primary focus is to educate both residents and visitors on the local animal welfare ordinances to ensure their pets remain safe and are humanely treated. Southport’s beautiful waterfront also brings a diverse variety of wildlife to our city. My calls for service can be unique, and I strive to help any animal in need.”

What are some of the impacts you’ve made locally?

“I was instrumental in updating the city’s Animal Welfare Ordinance in 2019. Important initiatives such as antitethering laws were added to better the quality of life for pets.”

What’s a future goal?

“A goal of mine is to build a more robust Community Cat Program in surrounding communities. As the area’s population continues to grow, an active volunteer-based group will be needed to address the critical issue of overpopulation. I would be able to provide training and guidance to ensure it would be successful.”

RHODES FAWN N.

Health & Human Services Equity Coordinator, New Hanover County

Describe your role.

“I am the first Health Equity Coordinator at HHS (New Hanover County’s Health and Human Services department). I advocate, coordinate, and implement health equity programs.”

What are some of the impacts you’ve made locally?

“I created the Food Pathways initiative, which links older people to free food, arranged several COVID outreach events, and produced the Equity Matters webinar, a monthly health equity webcast. I designed an Economic Services Outreach program for first-time applicants at participating venues. I established the New Hanover County Health and Human Services Health Equity Council. I arranged a neighborhood SNAP food conference and organized the Minority Maternity Health Community Conversation for minority women to share their stories.”

What’s a future goal?

“A pipeline from HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to health and human services is a future goal, which would increase the number of minority employees and interns, especially in areas of environmental, mental, and school health. To establish a patient advocate and doula certification program for New Hanover County citizens at NHC HHS.”

Kristy Williams

Program Manager, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office-Elements Youth Violence Intervention Program

Describe your role.

“My position oversees a team of fifteen employees and manages the functions of our program, which serves approximately 125 youth and families per year. When I began with the program sixteen years ago, I started as a case manager for court-ordered, repeat juvenile offenders who were either gang involved or lived in an area with gang activity. … Our program is a civilian-based program that is within the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.”

What are some of the impacts you’ve made locally?

“In the past sixteen years of this career, our program has served over 1,000 youth within our community on an individual basis. The work that this program does is designed to meet each youth where they currently are, individually, and help provide them with the tools to build themselves and their support system up in a way that assists them with moving forward down a path to success.”

For more about the finalists, go to WILMAmag.com