The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center

Governor’s & Key Volunteer Awards of the Year – The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center

Governor's and Key Volunteer Service Awards

Each year, the Center coordinates this program for the Governor’s office for Chatham, Durham, Granville, Orange, Person, and Wake counties. County winners are selected and submitted to the Governor’s office, where they are considered for the State’s highest volunteer recognition, the Medallion Award, which is given to the top 20 to 25 volunteers in the state.

Nominations for the Governor's awards are currently closed.

Nominate Outstanding Volunteers for the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award

Nominate your outstanding volunteers for the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award! This is a wonderful opportunity to recognize your outstanding volunteers, including board members, who have dedicated at least one year of service to your organization.

By participating in this process, you can celebrate your volunteers’ contributions and enhance your organization’s visibility. This is also a terrific way to recognize those volunteers that have championed your cause.  

The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center manages the review process for the Governor’s Office for the following counties: Chatham, Durham, Granville, Orange, Person, and Wake. We also use these applications for our Key Volunteer Awards, too, so you can nominate someone for multiple awards with one simple application!

Visit the Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards website to learn more about the program.Ā 

Nominations can be made online at or by downloading the nomination form in pdf. The nomination forms are available to download in MS Word in both English and Spanish.Ā 

If you are NOT applying online and using a downloaded Word document, please email the form back to Hannah Davis.Ā 

All nominees are later featured on our social media and website for our Volunteer of the Week regardless of if they win – so don’t hesitate to honor and recognize your stellar volunteers!

Things to remember as you nominate your outstanding volunteers:

  • Read the Tip Sheet provided by the Governor’s Volunteer office carefully. These guidelines will enable your nominee(s) to have fair and accurate consideration by the reviewers.Ā 
  • The Narrative statement is EXTREMELY important! Please be specific and detailed about your volunteer’s impact to your organization. More details can be found on the Nomination Form.Ā 
  • Multiple nominations are allowed
  • Only nominate one person for each Special Volunteer TYPE – strongly encouraged so your volunteers are not competing against each other within that category (Ex. nominate one Youth, one Senior, one Group/Team, etc.)
  • Consider nominating your corporate volunteers! This is a terrific way to not only recognize them, but it builds a stronger relationship that can also result in increased volunteers and even financial support.Ā 
  • Consider also nominating your Board members-This is a very meaningful way to acknowledge their leadership and supportĀ 
  • TNVLC can assist in helping you develop your nomination if needed – just contact us!
Subscribe to receive emails and stay up to date- be sure to check the “Nonprofit Trainings & Information” box when you sign up to ensure you receive information regarding the 2025 nomination process.Ā 
Pictured here: 2023 Governor's Medallion Award Recipients, including Wake County's Nona Wright for her volunteerism with the Assistance League of the Triangle Area & Orange County's Bruce Ballentine for his volunteer service with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County.

Meet our 2025 Governor's Medallion Winners!

Chatham CountyĀ 

Sera CuniFWF2025

Sera Cuni

Feed-Well Fridges co-founder

Durham CountyĀ 

Brad-freeman -Stella

Brad Freeman

PetPals NC

Granville CountyĀ 

Jaquavion Stainback

JaQuavion Stainback

Shepherd Youth Ranch

Orange CountyĀ 

julie mcclintock 2

Julie McClintock

Friends of Bolin Creek

TNVLC's 2025 Key Award Winners

Corporate

Family

Group

Individual

AshleyMann & Able to Serve_#1(Winner - CorporateBusiness)

Charles Ashley Mann, DDS & Associates of Garner

Able to Serve

Sam and Dianne DCSL

Sam & Diane McMillan

Durham Center for Senior Life

HannahRuthFoundation

Hannah Ruth Foundation

Orange County Department on Aging

dedrick moone

Dedrick Moone

Families Moving Forward

Outstanding Board Member

Perseverance in Volunteerism

Student

Senior Adult

Anna Merrett

Anna Merrett

Assistance League of the Triangle Area

Kai Christopher

Kai Christopher

Habitat for Humanity of Wake County Re-store

Taylor Ward

Taylor Ward

Addis Jemari, NC Governor’s & Senate Page Programs, Grace Raleigh, NRCA

rachelle deats

Rachelle Deats

Backpack Buddies, Note in the Pocket, Raleigh Little Theatre, Theatre in the Park, Meals on Wheels, DPAC

Lifetime Achievement Award (Tie)

JC Raulston Arboretum Photo Collection image ID# 740012, taken by Alexander Lawrence in 2024;  Subject:  Viv Finkelstein;  Event: 2024 Raulston Blooms;  Location: JC Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States ; https://jcra.ncsu.edu/resources/photographs/results.php?search=740012 (c)Alexander/Carol Lawrence

Viv Finkelstein

JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University

Jeanne award

Jeanne Murray

Families Moving Forward

Durham County Social Services Awards

Backpacks 4 Kids

Thanksgiving Dinners Program

Share Your Holiday Program

DOC NC DSS Award

Dedicated to Our Community NC (DOC NC)

Glad Tidings DSS Award

Glad Tidings Worship Ministry

Holy Infant Catholic Church DSS Award

Holy Infant Catholic Church

Community Spirit Award

mike woodward community spirit award

Senator Mike Woodard

With The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center Board Members

2025 Governor's Volunteer Service Award County Winners

Chatham
County
Winners

Josh Baldwin, Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge

Sera Cuni, Feed-Well Fridges Co-founder

Ken and Jackie Durham, Solo Assistance Service at Galloway Ridge

George Evans, United Way of Chatham County via Carolina Meadows

Pam Somers, Chatham Outreach Alliance (CORA)

Durham
County
Winners

Marian Abernathy, Judea Reform Congregation – Refuge Resettlement

Sanji Datar, Digital Durham

Brad Freeman, PetPals NC

Lesley ‘Joi’ Gardner, Aging Well Durham

Georgia Haynie, General Davie Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution

Willie ‘Cowboy’ Headen, Durham Center for Senior Life

Long Ball RBI Concessions Volunteers, Durham Triple Play

Mary Selke, Duke Cancer Patient Support System

Akeeya Umstead, Misstakenid Gives Back Foundation

Benita Wall-Johnson, Urban Community AgriNomics Catawba Trail Farm

Granville
County
Winner

Dogs Deserve Better Piedmont Volunteers

Jim & Kay Nutt, Granville Gardeners

Ravens Nest Food Pantry, Christian Faith Center

JaQuavion Stainback, Shepherd Youth Ranch

Garman Troup, Granville County Senior Services

Orange
County
Winners

Shu-hwa Fan, Orange County Department on Aging (Post Humously)

Maryam Haque, Orange County Disability Awareness

Riza Jenkins, NC Sustainable Energy Association

Ann Louthan, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County

Julie McClintock, Friends of Bolin Creek

Ā 

Orange Chatham Support Group, Autism Society of NC

Libby Searles-Bohs, Pee Wee Home

Mindy Solie, Arts in Action

Christine Swanson, Dr. Charles van der Horst Water Safety Initiative (Swim for Charlie)

David Woodmansee, Pee Wee Homes

Person
County
Winners

Ruth Burch, NC Cooperative Extension of Person County

Steffi Kinton, My Life Matters

Nancy Lee Newell, Person County Senior Services

Wake
County
Winners

John P. Bender, Wheels4Hope

Catherine George, Diaper Train

Arsh Jha, Dedicated to Our Community (DOC NC)

Brenda Jones, Disabled American Veterans

Jeff Lineberry, NC Down Syndrome Alliance

Look Twice NC (Motorcycle Awareness Program)

Marie Martin, MOM Wishing Widows Well

Anna Merrett, Assistance League of the Triangle Area

NC Region Screening Team, American Red Cross

Rajeev Thalla, Rohan Rajeev Foundation

2025 Nominees

Short biographies of all nominated volunteers and winners are available in the program book(s) below.

Lists and Write Ups of Previous Year's Winners.