Public Health, Social Services receive Innovation Awards at County Commissioners Conference

By Staff Report, posted Oct 1, 2025 on BizFayetteville.com

The Cumberland Department of Public Health received the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Civic Excellence in Innovation Awards at the NCACC 118th Annual Conference held Aug. 21 - 23 in Pitt County. Pictured from left are Assistant County Manager for Community Support and Wellbeing Heather Skeens, Health Education Supervisor Sheena Butler, Public Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green, Commissioner Glenn Adams, Deputy Health Director Tamra Morris, Health Education Carlotta McCluskey, County Manager Clarence Grier, Commissioner Marshall Faircloth and County Attorney Rick Moorefield.

The Cumberland Department of Public Health and the Department of Social Services (DSS) each received North Carolina Association of County

The Cumberland Department of Social Services received the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Civic Excellence in Innovation Awards at the NCACC 118th Annual Conference held Aug. 21 - 23 in Pitt County. Pictured from left are Social Services Director Brenda Reid Jackson, Performance Management Division Director Heike Hammer, Commissioner Glenn Adams, Assistant Director of Social Work Services Kristin Bonoyer, County Manager Clarence Grier and Commissioner Marshall Faircloth.

Commissioners (NCACC) Civic Excellence in Innovation Awards at the NCACC 118th Annual Conference.

Cumberland County Public Health received the Civic Excellence in Innovation Award for the Healthy Conversations program. The Healthy Conversations program is a community-centered initiative that trains barbers and stylists as lay health educators to promote awareness of heart health, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer.

“We’re grateful for Board of Commissioners’ investment in Healthy Conversations. We need innovative programs to solve complex public health programs,” said Cumberland County Public Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green in a press release. “Our partnership with our local barbers and stylists has resulted in real behavior change.”

Cumberland County DSS received the Excellence in Innovation Award for the program “Social Work Simulation Training,” in partnership with the University of Utah. The partnership implements cost effective, real-world virtual social work training to support staff for critical child and adult protective social work duties in the community. Earlier in August, Cumberland County DSS was awarded by the North Carolina Association of County Directors of Social Services for the same program. That award was presented at the annual Social Services Institute.

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