Governor Brian P. Kemp and State School Superintendent Richard Woods today announced the winners of the fourth annual Georgia Recognizing Inspirational School Employees (RISE) Award, which honors those who provide exemplary service in public education.
Mr. Bruce Ballard, the Construction and Facilities Director for the Griffin-Spalding County School System, and Mrs. Gina Whitaker, the Executive Administrative Assistant for the Baldwin County School District, are this year’s winners. They have also been submitted as Georgia’s nominees for the national RISE Award, for which the governor of each state is invited to nominate up to two classified school employees.
“It’s my honor to recognize these two hardworking Georgians for their service to the children of our state,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Mr. Ballard and Mrs. Whitaker work hard each day to ensure students in Georgia’s K-12 schools have a safe and productive learning experience, and Marty and I are grateful for their efforts on behalf of the students who will step into the jobs of the future.”
All schools and districts were invited to submit a nominee for the Georgia RISE Award. Nomination forms were reviewed by a panel of judges composed of representatives from the Georgia Department of Education and numerous education organizations. The highest-scoring applications were presented to Governor Kemp, who made the final selection of two nominees.
“Classified employees are often the ‘unsung heroes’ of our public schools, working tirelessly to keep our school systems operating efficiently to the benefit of Georgia students,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “I offer my sincere congratulations to Mr. Ballard and Mrs. Whitaker and thank them for their contributions to education in Georgia.”
Employees in the following job categories are eligible for consideration for the Georgia RISE Award: paraprofessionals, clerical and administrative services, transportation services, food and…
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