Excellence in County Government

 The Excellence in County Government Awards program honors county personnel who have shown excellence in their service to county government. Give someone in your county the recognition they deserve!

Click here to download the 2018 Nomination Form (a fillable PDF)
Deadling for 2018 Nominations is August 3.

 

2017 Excellence in County Government Award Winners

COUNTY COMMISSIONER

Wells County Commissioner Randi Suckut was honored for many notable achievements and leadership through major challenges. He was nominated by Wells County, noting his active work in legislative matters, handling a number of crises, including an oil train explosion and a complete loss of the county’s sheriff’s department. He also served as President of the Association of Counties, and in that role made many trips to other counties and to the State Capitol for legislative and other matters.

COUNTY OFFICIAL

Williams County Treasurer/Recorder Kari Evenson was recognized for excellence as a leader and mentor among the state’s County Treasurers over the past 30 years. She has been a leader in advancing technology without ever sacrificing an emphasis on providing outstanding service to citizens. She was nominated for the award by the ND County Treasurers Association.

COUNTY EMPLOYEE

Wells County Sheriff’s Department Office Deputy Janelle Pepple earned the award as an exemplary employee who steps up to the demands of her job, even when that included finding herself the only employee in the office. She coordinated with neighboring counties to be sure the citizens of Wells County were protected at all times, working tirelessly, even from home as was often required. Her service to the public has also included membership in the Fessenden Ambulance Service for over two decades. Pepple was nominated for the award by the Wells County Board of Commissioners.

COUNTY HALL OF HONOR

(Honors former county officials) This year’s honor went to former McKenzie County Auditor/Treasurer Linda Svihovec. Linda was nominated for the award by the McKenzie County Board of Commissioners and other officials for serving the county for over 30 years in a variety of capacities. She guided the county through a period of explosive growth due to the oil boom, all the while remaining an active leader in the ND County Auditors Association and ND County Treasurers Association, as well as serving as President of the ND Association of Counties in 2010.

DEDICATED PARTNER

This award honors individuals and organizations outside of county government who have contributed to the good of counties. This year, NDACo selected Major General Alan Dohrmann, Adjutant General of the ND National Guard, for the award. General Dohrmann led the state’s support effort during the lengthy pipeline protests in Morton County. During that effort, M.G. Dohrmann showed great skill coordinating a multitude of resources across several entities, never losing sight of his focus on the job at hand despite the sensitive and complex nature of the event. He has been a strong advocate of utilizing the Guard’s resources to serve citizens across the state in many other crisis situations over his years in command.