One thousand, five hundred and ten. That’s the number of New Hanover County employees who stayed behind, served our community, and supported our residents for 21 straight days during Hurricane Florence and in the days that immediately followed.
Their acts of care and responsiveness were extraordinary, and I can never thank them enough.

I recently had the chance to talk with many of the employees who served during Florence. I met with them in their offices, departments and job sites and presented each employee with a lapel pin. I called them by name, thanked them for their service, and asked that they wear the lapel pin with pride.

For me, it is a small token of thanks and a symbol of their service to this county. And I wanted to make our community aware of this symbol, as well.

It is very likely that you will see a county employee around town – walking on the river walk, at the grocery store, or at a restaurant – wearing their lapel pin. If you do, I ask that you stop them and thank them.

These employees left their families to support and protect our residents during one of the most difficult times in our recent history. They deserve continuous thanks from all of us for all that they gave and all they did.

Our employees care about every single person in our county. They care about your lives, families, homes, and businesses. So, I hope you will join me in recognizing their work before, during and after Hurricane Florence.

In case you are wondering what the lapel pin looks like, take a peek at a few pictures of the lapel pin presentations in our recognition video.

As you celebrate the holidays and spend time with family and friends, I hope you will take time to reflect on the incredible work of our New Hanover County employees, as well as everyone who selflessly served our community during this difficult time. Many are still serving today, and I, for one, am grateful for these heroes among us.

New Hanover County is committed to progressive public policy, superior service, courteous contact, judicious exercise of authority, and sound fiscal management to meet the needs and concerns of our citizens today and tomorrow. See more at http://www.nhcgov.com.