A Roanoke Rapids native was among eight University of North Carolina employees recognized for their outstanding contributions at a reception at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center recently.

Six people received the Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence and two, including Deborah Hawkins, received the Excellence in Management Awards.

The Excellence in Management Awards were established in 1998 to recognize accomplishments in management. Recipients received a monetary award of $500 and a framed certificate presented by Richard Mann, vice chancellor for finance and administration.

Hawkins is the parking control and special event manager in the Department of Public Safety

Nominated for her commitment to mentoring and staff development, Hawkins was recognized for her dedication to in-service training and work to develop new systems for improving interaction and team development.

A 20-year veteran of the Parking Control division, Hawkins recently earned a master’s certificate in Community Preparedness and Disaster Management while working full time and has applied those concepts to her management style.