Land of Sky Regional Council's Annual Awards were conferred during the December Board of Delegates Meeting on
December 2, 2020. The Robert G. Parrish, Sr. Intergovernmental Relations Award, The Charles H. Campbell
Regional Leadership Award and The Robert E. Shepherd Excellence in Local Government Award were presented by
Land of Sky Regional Council Board Chair, Barbara Volk, and Executive Director, Nathan Ramsey. In addition, there
were five Extraordinary Public Leadership Awards and two Extraordinary Legislative Service Awards conferred this
year.
The Robert E. Shepherd Excellence in Local Government Excellence Award is presented at the Council's
discretion to a local government professional who has shown great leadership in improving governance and service
delivery, especially in the areas of regional cooperation and collaboration. Dedicated in 2016, this award honors
Land of Sky Regional Council's first Executive Director of 30 years. This year's award was presented to Transylvania
County Manager, Jaime Laughter, for her dedication and service to greatly enhance the quality of life for the citizens
of Transylvania County.
Extraordinary Public Service Award
This year, the Council bestowed this award on 5 outstanding Public Health Directors in the region. Tammy Cody,
Madison County Public Health Director, Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, Buncombe County Interim Public Health Director,
Stacie Saunders, Buncombe County Public Health Director, Steven Smith, Henderson County Public Health
Director, and Elaine Russell, Transylvania County Public Health Director were given this award in appreciation for
their devotion, commitment and exemplary service as Public Health Directors in our region. Their unwavering dedication to our citizens has helped our region respond to the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Land of Sky Regional Council is grateful for their exemplary leadership and dedication to public service.