Like many military veterans transitioning to civilian life, Shaun Tooke’s big question has been, “What’s next?” Two months into an internship with the City of Gastonia, he thinks he has found the answer.

“I see entering a local municipality in some leadership role at the division or department level,” he says. “With that foot in the door, I’d potentially work up or gain more experience to seek a management level position for a city or county.”

Tooke is a third-generation soldier. His grandfather served in the Army Air Corps in World War II. His father is a Vietnam veteran with 29 years of military service. Shaun Tooke will retire from the Army in June after 30 years, including two tours to Bosnia and three tours to Iraq. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cameron University in Oklahoma, an MBA from Clemson and a master’s in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

Last year, Tooke applied for the Veterans Local Government/Management Fellowship Program sponsored by the International City Managers Association. “I was accepted into the program, but it was a challenge to find a city in close proximity who would host me,” Tooke says. City Manager Michael Peoples had learned about the VLGMF program last summer at a conference and welcomed the opportunity to bring Tooke on board as a Fellow. Tooke started his internship with the City of Gastonia on Nov. 4, 2019. “Now I’m here and loving every day of it!” Tooke says.

Tooke believes many of the skills he developed in the military will translate easily into a civilian career in city or county government. “I’m learning what it takes to run a city, provide essential services and balance priorities, all while managing expectations of various stakeholders,” he says. He believes his internship with the City is reinforcing abilities he developed in this military career. Among those are problem solving, strategy development, people skills, planning and execution, and being a good steward of resources.

Tooke describes himself as a lifelong learner and says he appreciates the opportunity to see day-to-day government operations. “Having access to experienced city leadership to discuss the challenges they face, the calculus involved in their decision-making process, and the planning considerations for economic development have been invaluable,” he says.

He also has seen some of the challenges. “The average citizen of any city takes for granted the essential services and functions provided for the public’s safety and well-being,” he says. “It takes a great deal of hard work by a dedicated team who often go unnoticed or underappreciated.” Tooke says he’s impressed by the City of Gastonia employees and what he calls their “high degree of passion for their work.”

Tooke describes the internship as a “test drive” to determine if he truly wants to pursue a career in city or county government. He says it’s been an excellent way to gain experience and tap into a network of proven city leaders.

As he comes to the end of his military career, Tooke hopes the City of Gastonia has helped him answer that “What’s next?” question. It involves applying the skills he developed in the Army and in the internship, and a calling of the heart that prompted him to enlist three decades ago. “It boils down to being service oriented with a service mindset,” he says, “and wanting to contribute to a community’s success.”

by Mary Elliott
Communications and Marketing Director

This Veterans Day was special for me. Although I'm not a veteran of military service, I have always had admiration and respect for those who have put their lives in harm's way to serve our country. Being new to my job with the City and to Gastonia, I wanted to take photos of our Veterans Day Parade and include them in this article. But the task turned out to be more than just an assignment for Employee Focus.

Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, marking the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans – living or dead – but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.

When I arrived at City Hall to park my car on Nov. 11, 2019, I wasn't sure if the parade was about to start or not, so I decided to just get a few photos and be on my way. Because I didn't see many people on S. South Street, I thought the parade would be short. But turning the corner onto Main Avenue, I was surprised to see how many men, women and children were lined along the street – on both sides – waiting for the parade to start! My mission quickly changed and I decided to see how many veterans I could find and how many photos I could take to document our parade that day. 

I walked down Main Avenue from South Street to Broad and, along the way, I saw many veterans wearing jackets, shirts and hats or carrying signs advertising their tours of duty. I didn't want to miss the start of the parade, so I walked quickly, saying "Thank you for your service," to each veteran I saw in the crowd.

The response was the same from each person – a nod or acknowledgement of pride and honor to have served.

I had never attended a parade on Veterans Day and didn't know what to expect. When I finally got to Broad Street it seemed like a sea of people were lined up, ready to begin the parade. There were school bands, junior ROTC cadets, color guards, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts – all happy to say "thank you" to our veterans. I took lots of pictures of the people who came out on a day that featured the most perfect weather.

The parade featured two World War II veterans in a red car, veterans from the American Legion, veterans who work for the City of Gastonia, veterans wearing insignia indicating where they had served, veterans wearing medals including the Purple Heart. The veterans in every photo I took exuded a sense of pride and honor.

Even during the solemn ceremony at the American Military Museum on Second Avenue, there was a feeling of camaraderie as each veteran held their salute while taps was played by a bugler.

Veterans Day in Gastonia was special for me this year because I had the opportunity to join others in showing our veterans how much we appreciate their service to our country. Being new to the City, it was even more special to have my husband with me, a retired Army veteran. So, that makes me a proud Army wife. We'll be at the Veterans Day Parade next year and we hope you'll join us!

Gastonia Police Department’s No-Shave November raised more than $3,000 this year for Special Olympics North Carolina. And some beards will continue to grow in Don’t-Shave December, a fundraiser to support NC Highway Patrol Trooper Christopher Wooten who was injured in a vehicle pursuit crash in October.

“It’s a fun opportunity to grow a beard and support our community at the same time,” said Sgt. Scott Norton, GPD’s SONC fund-raising committee chairman. By policy, GPD officers are clean shaven. To participate with No-Shave November, officers contribute $40 to SONC and hand out flyers to anyone who asks about their growing facial hair. Participation with Don’t-Shave December also requires a $40 donation.

The mission of SONC is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympics-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Anyone interested in making a donation to SONC in honor of the GPD may do so online at http://sonc.net/give/. Anyone interested in making a donation in support of Trooper Wooten or participating with Don't Shave December can contact Sgt. Norton at norton_scott@cityofgastonia.com or Officer Jackie Quinley at quinley_jackie@cityofgastonia.com.

Fundraising is underway for the fifth annual Shop with a Cop event hosted by the Gastonia Police Department.

Shop with a Cop will be held on Saturday, Dec. 7 to help youth in our community have a joy-filled Christmas season and build positive relationships with police officers. The event starts at 8 a.m. with breakfast with Santa at the GPD for the 50 participating youth. Then there’s shopping with uniformed officers at Target. Participating children are selected by the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Gaston, and each child has $250 to spend on items such as clothing, shoes, pajamas, school supplies and even a toy.

“We want this year’s Shop with a Cop to be great like last year’s,” said Chief Robert Helton. “Everyone’s help is greatly appreciated!”

Christmas ornaments are for sale again this year to raise money for Shop with a Cop. A new collectible GPD Patrol car ornament is for sale for $20. Paper ornaments are $5 each and you can sign them and hang them on the Christmas tree in the GPD public lobby. Purchases can be made at the GPD front desk. Donations can be made by mailing a check payable to the Gastonia Police Foundation, P.O. Box 336, Gastonia, NC 28053. Please indicate on your donation: “Shop with a Cop 2019.” Please call 704-866-6937 with any questions.

Glacier National Park

Gastonia Police Chief Robert Helton can cross an item off his bucket list: taking a 6,000 mile motorcycle ride out west with his wife, Ruth. In July they rode their Harley-Davidson motorcycle from Gastonia to Glacier National Park, Montana, passing through 15 states in all kinds of weather and seeing majestic landscapes and wildlife along the way.

“We passed through Jackson Hole, the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park, with the goal of getting to Glacier National Park in Montana,” Helton said. “We had to be pretty specific about the time of year that we went out to Glacier because it can snow up until June and then start again around September. So there’s only a short time when you can get up there on a motorcycle and get across. It’s about a 53-mile ride across the pass.” They traveled across the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park to Logan Pass, a high overlook surrounded by mountains reaching 10,000 feet.

Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons were also amazing sights. “The Grand Tetons are incredible to see and what makes them standout is that there are no foothills,” Helton said. “It’s just flat plains and then the mountaintops. They rise to nearly 14,000 feet with snow tops. We could see the tips of the Grand Tetons from 100 miles out."

In the Dakotas they saw Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and Needles Highway, which has rock formations including one that looks like the eye of a Chief Helton and his wife, Ruth, in front of the Grand Tetons.needle. “We saw elk, antelope, bear, deer and big herds of bison,” he said.

Challenges of the trip included packing for two on a motorcycle in preparation for cold, heat and rain, and finding gas along the route. “On the bike you can run 225 to 250 miles before you need gas so that could be close in some of those areas.”

Overall, they enjoyed great weather on the trip. Out of the 15 days, they only had a couple days with rain, but not enough to dampen their spirits. “We had one storm that came up that produced a little bit of hail, so we pulled over, but luckily it didn’t last long,” Helton explained. “Another thing we had to deal with while going through Wyoming was the wind. You can imagine what it’s like to have 30 mile-per-hour winds pushing to your left and then a truck passes you and all of a sudden it changes. You really have to pay close attention and hold on going down the road when you’re traveling through an area like that.”

The Heltons made the trip with another couple, retired Gastonia Police Chief Tim Adams and his wife, Jackie. “It was helpful to have bikes with cruise control, stereo and GPS. I had voice-activated communication with Ruth and a CB to talk with Tim and Jackie. About every 125 to 150 miles we pulled over to stretch our legs and top off gas because it does get tough sitting on that bike for that long!”

Other interesting sights they saw on their journey were some of the old western towns, Indian reservations, Devil’s Canyon, the famous motorcycle rally site, Sturgis, the Mississippi River and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

In reflecting on the trip, Helton said, “With such a vast and majestic country, I can understand why the words were written to the song, ‘America the Beautiful.’”

Chief Helton and Ruth at Yellowstone National Park.

Mount Rushmore

At the June 18 City Council meeting, Debbie Bellenger of CaroMont Health presented the City of Gastonia with the trophy for winning the Employer Walking Challenge saying, “You have a culture of wellness at the City.” Bellenger, who is director of employee wellness services for CaroMont added, “You should be very proud. Overall participation is up and the City of Gastonia has developed an excellent health culture.”

The City met two of its three wellness goals for this fiscal year:

• Increase overall wellness score from 70 to 27
        >Result: Overall wellness score dropped to 69
• Increase percentage of employees who exercise at least three days a week from 73% to 75%
        >Result: 75% of employees exercise 3+ days a week
• Decrease percentage of employees with prehypertension from 47.1%
        >Result: 44.6% of employees have prehypertension

“City employees are moving more. They are interested in being healthier,” Bellenger said. And she noted that nearly every employee health metric measured by the City improved from 2018 to 2019, including waist circumference, blood pressure and employees’ perceptions of their own health. A few areas that did not improve in the past year include employees’ diabetes prevention and control, coronary risk, ability to cope with stress, and depressed mood.

Other year-end statistics:

• City employees lost 1,578 pounds in the past year.
• At employees’ request, the City began a Weight Watchers group.
• The City achieved Gold Level status in Healthy Gaston’s Healthy Employer program.
• 98% of employees participated in health screenings, an increase from last year.
• 81% of employees participated in at least one Wellness activity, up from 73% last year.
• 37.5% of employees rated the City’s health culture as excellent, up from 34% a year ago.

City Wellness Coordinator Wanda Flowers said the numbers show the program’s second year was a big success. “This is all great news for our wellness program,” Flowers said. “The employees are engaged and supporting me and one another in our wellness journey. I am so excited about all the support the program has from senior leadership as well as the employees.”

City Wellness strategy for FY2020:

• Focus on employees’ top-two risk factors: weight management and good nutrition
• Partner with diabetes management program
• Develop programs to keep employees engaged in wellness activities for 10 months or more
• Offer quarterly blood pressure, weight and waist circumference checks
• With department directors, create a wellness plan for each City department

“I encourage those employees who have experienced improved health to please share their stories with their coworkers,” Flowers said. “Please continue to promote the wellness programs and activities as we work to live healthier and thrive!”

The Gastonia City Council is to vote June 4 on the City budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Almost 73% of the General Fund are costs related to personnel expenses. The budget increased by $1.7 million to provide competitive compensation for employees, with salaries and benefits accounting for more than $73.5 million of the total City budget.

For the fifth consecutive year, City workers will receive raises. Similar to last year, the budget provides for salary increases of 2.5-4% for full-time and part-time employees, effective June 22. The budget also continues the annual $350 Christmas bonus for eligible employees and the 401(k) program for eligible employees with a 5% match.

The City’s health insurance and retiree-funding costs have increased, but this budget does not pass along those added costs to employees. The premiums employees pay for health insurance coverage will not change. However, the budget includes a 17% increase to cover medical expenses incurred by employees enrolled in the City’s health insurance program. The City will continue to make a $750 payment to each eligible employee’s Health Savings Account. Employees not federally eligible for an HSA will receive the same amount. The onsite clinic remains open to employees and eligible retirees. Wellness initiatives and incentives will continue in the coming fiscal year.

The City budget also includes:

• $3 million to replace aging technology, equipment and vehicles used by Police, Fire, Public Works and other departments
• $1.3 million for maintenance of and repairs to City buildings and park facilities
• $1.3 million for transportation projects and street improvements

The proposed budget decreases the City’s tax rate. Some property tax bills will increase because of Gaston County’s recent property revaluation. The budget does not increase electric, water, sewer, solid waste or stormwater fees. 

Five Gastonia Police officers were awarded Lifesaving medals during the Gastonia Police Department Awards Reception held May 9 at the Loray Mill Event Hall. About 40 other officers, civilian employees and volunteers were also recognized during the event made possible by generous donations from Homesteads Grill and the Gastonia Police Foundation.

“Our officers, civilian employees and volunteers make a great difference in our community, and we are very proud of them,” Gastonia Police Chief Robert Helton said.

Lifesaving medals went to Officers Christian McNabb, Adam Carpenter, Joe Bain, Allyson Koney and Jonathan Hayes.

• McNabb responded to a 911 call about a man sitting on the rail of the bridge over I-85 at Bessemer City Road. He was able to physically remove the man from the bridge railing before he could jump.
• Carpenter and Bain saved a woman from hanging herself. The woman survived and was treated.
• Koney and Hayes were dispatched to a drowning at a hotel swimming pool. Upon arrival, Hayes immediately began chest compressions on a 3-year-old who was not breathing. Koney took over chest compressions and helped position the child on his side until he started breathing.

Other awards:

Officer of the Year

Sgt. Doug Carpenter was recognized as Officer of the Year for demonstrating exemplary conduct, faithfully executing the duties of his office and demonstrating character that epitomizes the mental and moral qualities that every officer should possess. “His unwavering love and dedication to his family is profound,” said Capt. Trent Conard, who serves as GPD’s Awards coordinator.

Exceptional Duty

Detective Jim Bliss has the highest number of cases in the Criminal Investigations Division (CID), 242 cases throughout 2018 and through early May 2019. A passionate leader when it comes to financial crimes, Bliss is sought out by his colleagues as an expert.

Detective David Brogdon is a Task Force Officer (TFO) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and has diligently worked with Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) cases since joining GPD’s Special Investigations Division. He has successfully indicted hundreds of suspects, is sought out by the Assistant U.S. Attorney for his methodical and precise cases, and he trains new agents and TFOs.

Detective Mike Watts spent numerous hours on the Maddox Ritch case, conducting numerous interviews, writing and obtaining specialized search warrants, and coordinating with multiple agencies. He has kept information flowing from the GPD to the FBI while seeking justice for the missing/deceased child.

Assistant Chief Ed Turas began the Pink Patch Project around three years ago and in 2018 he was able to get the program implemented with the assistance of Sgt. Nancy Brogdon by having the program funded through GPD’s Sergeants Association. The program sold 1,000 patches and all proceeds were donated to Cancer Services of Gaston County.

Unit Meritorious Service

Officer Sam Cain leads the department in DWI charges and enforcement with 49 DWI charges in 2018. Cain brings public acclaim to himself, the department and the police profession as a result of his devotion to duty and service to the public.

Detective Albert Fleming has served as a detective for 19 years out of his 22 years as a police officer. He is a firearms instructor and a Basic Law Enforcement Training instructor in Juvenile Law Procedures and Human Trafficking. He is an Assistant Team Leader with the Shift Tactical Team, serves on the Recruitment Team and is a former SWAT member. Fleming also makes presentations at local schools about bullying and cybercrimes, and is a mentor for several children.

Detective Heather Houser had the highest case clearance in CID in 2018. From January 2018 to early May, she was assigned 109 cases, which vary from homicides, aggravated assaults, robberies, kidnappings, property crimes and sexual offenses. She is the leader in sexual assault investigations and works hard to seek justice for victims.

 Commendations

• Officer Jesse Yager and K9 Officer Mike Lewis answered a breaking and entering call that involved a 10-year-old boy who was upset about a stolen game console, which had been given to him by his father. Money was raised within the shift to buy a new game console along with a TV and additional games, which were given to the young man at the GPD’s D-shift briefing. The event was videoed by his mother and word quickly spread through social media and various news outlets.
• Officers Matt Willis, Mike Lewis, Derrick Meek and Cody Huffstetler assisted the Oconee County Sheriff's Office of Watkinsville, Ga., by looking for a suspect wanted for first degree murder. The suspect was believed to be to be armed with the murder weapon, a 40-caliber handgun. The suspect vehicle was located on Long Avenue and, when officers attempted to stop it, the suspect began shooting. Officers began pursuing the vehicle, were able to apprehend the suspect and located the murder weapon.
• Officer Robert Morell learned of the death of his former high school cross country running coach, a beloved figure in the community, and used his influence to enlist the aid of current and former students, along with current Gastonia and Gaston County Police Officers, to organize a candlelight vigil. Officer Morrell exhibited exemplary service by going beyond the scope of his normal duties.
• Sgt. Casey Justice served in the Gastonia Police K9 Unit before his promotion to Patrol Sergeant and earned the TOP CASE for Region 2 of the U.S. Police Canine Association. That means Justice’s K9 track was considered the best track and find in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. The award by the USPCA was given in recognition of outstanding performance in the detection and prevention of crime.
• Detective Carla Mastro was praised in a letter from the mother of a missing boy. In the letter the woman advised when she approached Mastro without an appointment, she received a compassionate, attentive and professional response. She went on to say that Mastro’s kindness “struck me and I knew quickly that I could trust her with my son’s case” and ended the letter saying she will not forget Mastro’s kindness.
• Officer Allyson Koney responded to a call where an 18-year-old autistic and schizophrenic female had assaulted her mother’s boyfriend with a knife. The woman then locked herself in the house with a knife and refused to come out. Koney was able to utilize her Crisis Intervention Team training to talk the woman out of the house and take her into custody without incident.
• Officers Steven Hoyle, David Rowland and Justin Padgett responded to a suicidal female who had stabbed herself in the leg. They quickly built a rapport with her, got her to put the knife down and took her into custody without further incident.
• Detectives Mike Watts, Robbie Bryson, Andrew Pate and Cody Edge received a tip that a murder suspect was in Gastonia. After multiple interviews, the detectives located the suspect vehicle at the suspect’s girlfriend’s residence. Bryson and Watts went to the front door and Pate and Edge went to the rear door. As soon as detectives approached, the suspect ran out the back door and detectives pursued him on foot. Pate was able to take the suspect into custody without any further incident.
• Officers Caleb Price, Cody Huffstetler and Fred Williams have gone above and beyond the call of duty to assist the Explorer Program for the GPD. The officers have assisted with the Active Shooter Team and taken time to assist at the Explorer Academy in Salemburg, NC. These officers set an example with their dedication to the program.
• K9 Officer Matthew Willis was assisting the Street Crime Unit on a subject with a weapon call, and was attempting to take the suspect into custody when the man attempted to flee on foot. In a struggle during the arrest, Willis suffered a fall resulting in torn ligaments and a separated shoulder. Despite the pain, Willis continued to pursue and take the subject into custody.

Civilian of the Year

Dawn Cross is the resident expert for all budgeting issues at the GPD and has improved monitoring and accounting for federal overtime work. She has performed dual duties in the absence of the administrative assistant for the chief of police. Her knowledge, skill and abilities reduce the amount of time required to process timesheets, overtime, and asset forfeiture deposits. Her work ethic and positive attitude make her a valuable employee.

Explorers of the Year  

Noah Wise, Adam Knight and Brandon Sammons are Explorers of the Year. In 2018, Noah stepped up from captain to major. He competed in events and took first place in rock climbing. He has been with GPD’s Explorer Post for four years and has good meeting attendance.

Last June, Adam was awarded the Detective Mike Doty Award from the Explorer Academy in Salemburg. This award, previously known as the Advisors award, is for the Explorer who has shown leadership abilities and persevered through adversity during the week of training for Explorers. Adam has been an Explorer for three years and has stepped up in the captain’s roll.

Brandon is very skilled at computer technologies and social media. He heads the Explorer Facebook and Twitter accounts, and wrote a video/picture release form for the Explorers to have pictures on social media. Brandon has been an Explorer for two years with perfect attendance.

Special Service

Caleb Price and Jacob Bowers have both served with commendable service as Patrol Training Officers.

Intermediate Law Enforcement Certificate

Robert Gammons, Alex Burns and Seth Canipe have earned the State of North Carolina’s Intermediate Law Enforcement Certificate.

Educational Achievement Award

Detective Cody Edge obtained his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at the University of Western Carolina and graduated magna cum laude.

Officer Jonathan Hayes earned his master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Arizona State.

Detective Eric Seagle received his master’s degree in criminal ustice from East Carolina University.

Sgt. Craig Singer received his master’s degree in criminal justice from East Carolina University.

Military Service Award

Maurice Taylor III - U.S. Navy

Noel Santoyo - U.S. Army

Derrick Newman - U.S. Army

Gastonia Police Sergeants Association’s TOP COP award

The GPD Sergeants Association presented Officer Sam Barksdale with the TOP COP award. “He has impressed his colleagues with his dedication to improve himself physically and mentally as demonstrated by his tenacity in making the SWAT team,” said Sgt. Brogdon. “In addition, he has the heart of a servant, which is the foundation of leaders, and he puts the needs of others ahead of his own. As a leader, he truly trains, guides and motivates his peers and challenges others to always improve.”

In Quentin McPhatter’s first city administration job, he oversaw the development of a town park that included a ballfield and the creation of a downtown in a fledgling community that didn’t have a traditional business district. The town of Green Level, North Carolina, near Burlington, became incorporated in 1990, and creating the first public park and a downtown were important to establishing the town’s identity. McPhatter chuckles a bit as he thinks about the similarities of those responsibilities to his new ones. “I seem to be attracted to jobs where ballfields are involved,” he says, referring to FUSE. “Now I’m here in Gastonia with another ballfield project and helping to bring people to downtown and revitalizing it.”

McPhatter says he’s excited about coming to Gastonia, in part because of the City’s use of historic renovation to spur economic development. From Loray Mill to Webb Custom Kitchen to City Hall renovations to planned private development around FUSE, McPhatter describes the ways that Gastonia is successfully redefining itself, building on its textile-dominated past to attract an energized and diversified economic base.

“Gastonia has had to adapt to survive,” he says. “When you adapt, you have to look at the other assets you have, as a community, and look for ways to leverage those assets as best you can.” McPhatter says sometimes, a community’s greatest assets can be hidden in plain sight. “For many communities, people can forget about their strengths because they are so used to being around them or they don’t recognize them as being potential opportunities.”

Although new to the City, McPhatter can already rattle off a long list of Gastonia’s strengths and assets, including intact historic buildings, excellent water and wastewater capacity, proximity to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and being the second-largest satellite city near Charlotte. In particular, he notes Gastonia’s resiliency, which he says helps the community adapt to changes and take advantage of opportunities.

McPhatter began his career as a planning assistant for the City of Raleigh, working his way up to city and county management roles in North Carolina and Georgia. He is an enthusiastic promoter of comprehensive zoning and land-use planning to help shape a vibrant and livable community. He says it starts with residents and elected officials using a “deliberate process” to create a vision of what they want their city to be. “If they want to achieve certain things, let’s say walkable communities or more land set aside for open space or recreation, then you would put them into your development code to help bring about those changes,” he says.

The plans, processes and blueprints are vital parts of McPhatter’s job, but his real passion is for people. “A lot of times, especially in government, people just want to be heard,” he says. “They want to know someone is listening to them.” When earning his master’s degree in public administration at North Carolina Central University, he minored in counseling, and he says it helps him relate with people. “I have the ability to sit with different stakeholders and make them feel comfortable with expressing how they feel,” he says. “It’s about talking with somebody, not at somebody.”

McPhatter grew up in Wagram, North Carolina, east of Rockingham, and earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Wake Forest University. He is married with two daughters. His wife, Michele, is a native of Kannapolis and is an attorney. He calls his daughters his “Special K’s.” Kendell, 12, runs track and won the 800-meter state championship last year. Krista, 8, was named an outstanding performer in the coastal Georgia region as a pianist. The McPhatters have been active in their church in Kingsland, Georgia, and in numerous charitable organizations. The family has a 2-year-old Chihuahua-terrier mix named Crabcakes.

Three mornings a week, McPhatter’s alarm goes off at 4:45 a.m., and he heads to the gym for a 30-minute regimen of elliptical or strength training. He says he finds work-life balance by keeping his focus on work while on the job, but focusing on his family when he’s with them.

To McPhatter, a perfect day would include sunny skies and a light breeze, celebrating the grand opening of a new industry or commercial facility, playing a round of golf and “actually shooting close to par,” watching his daughters at a track meet and piano recital, and enjoying a nice dinner with his wife.

After nearly 20 years in government service, McPhatter says he’s learned that teamwork is required to get anything done. For him, that includes “getting the proper people working with the proper people.” He has also learned that an “amazing” amount of effort goes into even small projects, with people rarely taking notice until the work is nearly done. But for him, that collaboration and behind-the-scenes effort are the most gratifying parts of government service. McPhatter says he is looking forward to collaborating with City of Gastonia employees, City Council and residents to “make great things happen” in the City.

See the City's news release about hiring McPhatter.

“Above and beyond.” Those words repeatedly appear on the forms nominating Ed Stroud for the City’s Extraordinary Service Award. Examples of Stroud’s all-in work ethic include his daily arrival at 6 a.m., one hour before his shift begins, and his willingness to work on-call or overtime when necessary.

Ed Stroud

Stroud is a Field Supervisor I in Public Works where he oversees asphalt and right-of-way crews. Stroud took on the right-of-way responsibilities this past year, putting new emphasis on clearing tree branches and trimming shrubs to reclaim the space along City streets. In the words of one award application, “sidewalks that haven’t been exposed in years, maybe in decades, are now usable again” because of Stroud’s attention to detail.

The nominations also praised Stroud’s thorough and conscientious approach to materials inventory and planning the daily tasks for his crews. “He sets the tone and pace of the crews and leads as an impeccable example,” stated one award nomination for Stroud.

His coworkers also appreciate Stroud’s ability to get along with others, from doing his job with a smile to being an effective listener to both colleagues and customers.

Stroud, who has worked for the City for 16 years, said he is grateful to win the award. He said he wants to give 100 percent to everything he does and “tries to perform each job as if it was in front of my house.” He said the most challenging part of his job is keeping litter picked up along roadsides. On the other hand, he said the most satisfying part is seeing his crews go home safely to their families at the end of each day.  

Before and after Stroud and his crew reclaimed sidewalk along Rankin Avenue