North Carolina PACE Association 2024 Awards 

Nomination Packet & Award Guidelines 

The North Carolina PACE Association is excited to once again hold our annual awards ceremony at the 2024 conference. These awards will recognize the individuals and groups whose acts reflect dedication to excellence in PACE and their areas of expertise. 

Nominations will be accepted in the following categories: 

• Workplace Excellence Award (Team Award) 
• Excellence in Innovation Award (Team Award) 
• Dr. Marsha Fretwell NC PACESETTER Award (Individual Award) 
• Service Excellence Award (Two Individual Awards) 

Nominations due Friday, September 6, 2024 

Please complete the nomination form and forward to:
Meghan Brent
Coordinator
North Carolina PACE Association
mbrent@ncpace.org 

Rules and Process 

Any staff member may make the nomination. The Executive Director of the program must certify that the nominee is “in good standing” and must commit to sending that individual to the conference if they are selected as an award winner. It is encouraged to send all nominees. 

Previous winners are not eligible for any award for the next three years (for example: 2021 winner will be eligible for nomination for a 2024 award). 

The Awards Committee can be comprised of previous award winners, volunteers from the Board of Directors, and Association staff. 

It is the prerogative of the Awards Committee, to not have a recipient of an award if there is not a qualified nomination, and/or to change nominees to a more appropriate award category (with the permission of the nominator). 

Award winners will be determined by an evaluation process which scores nominees based on defined criteria. Awards Committee members will be blinded to nominee names and program affiliation. Only the chair of the committee and Association staff will know the name of the nominees and winners will be kept confidential (except on a need-to-know basis). 

Awards Criteria 

Every nomination should demonstrate how the nominee makes a positive contribution by “going above and beyond” the normal expectations. This is much more than a positive job performance evaluation. Specific examples should be provided of how the nominee has exhibited the award-winning criteria. Including feedback and recognition from participants, their families, co-workers, and other relevant people is encouraged. 

The Workplace Excellence Award (Team Award) will go to a PACE program exemplifying the following criteria: 

• Excellent Participant and Caregiver Satisfaction 
• High Employee Satisfaction and Engagement 
• Strong Regulatory Compliance 
• Exemplifies the characteristics of excellent teamwork, which may include the following: ▪ Clear goals and expectations 
• Willingness to assist other team members 
• Open, timely, and effective communication and conflict resolution 
• Presence of strong leadership 
• Commitment to a diverse work force and DEI initiatives 
  
  

The Excellence in Innovation Award (Team Award) is intended to recognize a PACE team for outstanding support of the PACE Model through initiative and creativity. This award identifies a team who has significantly improved or initiated a project, process, or policy by diligently seeking to improve the quality of service to participants, caregivers, or staff. Criteria may include: 

• Innovation 
• Flexibility 
• Synergy 
• Implementation of a project or improvement of process/policy 

The DR. MARSHA FRETWELL PACESETTER AWARD recognizes a PACE employee of extraordinary services and extraordinary impact. This person “finds a way to raise the bar and change the world.”  The winner of this award: 

• Pursues innovative approaches, is visionary, and is transformative 
• Demonstrates and exemplifies leadership in their role with PACE 
• Promotes and advances PACE 
• Provides multiple positive and useful contributions to PACE 
• Contributes beyond his or her own program, and is seen as a positive influencer of PACE 
• Develops supportive and influential relationships outside of PACE (local, state, national) 

The Service Excellence Award (Two Individual Awards) serves to recognize an individual who has consistently demonstrated a consistent quality of work, willingness to be part of the solution as opposed to the problem, willingness to further develop his or her skillset or abilities, and demonstrated commitment to the PACE Model and the quality of services/care to the participants and caregivers. Criteria may include commitment to excellence in the following areas: 

• Communication 
• Collaboration with fellow team members 
• Commitment to outstanding performance 
• Compassion and empathy for participants, caregivers, and each other 
• Confidence and willingness to do the right thing 
• Customer service skills 

Download the NC PACE Association Awards  Nomination form