| North Carolina Solid Waste Enforcement |
The Mike Stilwell Award for Enforcement Officer of the Year
Mike Stilwell was a member of NCSWEOA’s Executive Committee and served as a code enforcement officer for Mecklenburg County for over a decade. Mike is remembered for providing outstanding service to his community and for his ability to achieve voluntary compliance. He was a model public servant who had the abilities and expertise to navigate complex compliance issues with tact and good humor. In an effort to acknowledge Mike’s contributions to public service we present the Stilwell Enforcement Officer of the Year Award on an annual basis to recognize those NCSWEOA members who exemplify the traits, skills, and knowledge that were demonstrated by Mr. Stilwell.
Note: NCSWEOA is not yet accepting applications for 2021.
We will provide details here when the application acceptance window opens.
Eligibility for Nomination:
- Any individual who has responsibilities for responding to solid waste complaints and/or enforcement of solid waste rules, ordinances, or laws.
- Current employee of a local, state, or federal government working in North Carolina.
- Job classification may include part-time involvement in solid waste enforcement activities and not necessarily the primary function of the nominees' work requirement.
Nomination Criteria:
- Attach letter of recommendation stating why the nominee is deserving of this recognition.
- Detail how the nominee has “made a difference.”
- Include specific accomplishments, innovative approaches to enforcement, involvement in organizations, community interaction, or assistance to other agencies or entities.
Application Submission:
- Complete the application.
- Provide a letter of recommendation.
- Submissions should be emailed to NCSWEOA President, Caleb Sinclair at Caleb.Sinclair@rowancountync.gov.
Review and Award Process:
- Applications will be reviewed and decided upon by the NCSWEOA Executive Committee.
- The recipient would normally be recognized at the NCSWEOA fall conference.
- The award winner will receive a free registration to the next NCSWEOA fall conference.
Congratulations to our 2020 Stilwell Award recipient
Travis Swain, Davidson County!
|  2020 was the year of the pandemic and our annual conference was cancelled, presenting us with a unique situation for presenting the 2020 Stilwell Award. The folks at Davidson County stepped up and made it possible for us to do a virtual presentation at their December 15th County Commissioners meeting. Here's the masked version of our 2020 Enforcement Officer of the Year, Travis Swain (left), receiving the award from Davidson County Planning Director Guy Cornman. Receiving the award was a total surprise for Travis - we bet he was wondering why his bride of two days (above) was there! |
2020 Award Winner Travis Swain Davidson County
Travis Swain serves as member of a 3- man enforcement team that handles zoning and solid waste complaints in Davidson County, a position that he's held for 3 years. Travis is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Western Carolina University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He began his enforcement career as a sworn police officer in Cobb County, Georgia where he honed his inves-tigative skills. Travis has a gift for communicating effectively by treating people with dignity and consideration. As a result, he gains the cooperation of many violators. In one landmark case, Travis put together an interdepart-mental investigative team, marshalling the support and assistance of the fire marshal's office and the sheriff's department. This enabled him to expand his investigation by using their resources to help build a strong case and ultimately force the clean up of this extensive dump site. |
2019 Award Winner Mauro Mele Pitt County
| 2018 Award Winner Valerie Proper City of Concord  City of Concord Solid Waste Services Senior Customer Service Specialist Valerie Proper was the 2018 recipient of the Stilwell Award. With 18 years of experience on the job, Valerie serves as the city's first point of contact for solid waste compliance issues. She uses her interpersonal communication skills to achieve voluntary compliance and works cohesively with Code Enforcement Officers as enforcement action is pursued. She fills in as Compliance Code Inspector as needed, Valerie also supports the enforcement officers by researching case information and maintaining an enforcement case database and providing information about proper disposal and educational materials to the public.
| 2017 Award Winner Jeff Blood Iredell County
From his nominator: "Blood isn’t afraid of anything and he gets results without making people mad.” |
2016 Award Winner Duane McGuire Harnett County | 2015 Award Wiinner Kathy McVey Cumberland County
| 2014 Award Winner Jeff Sparrow Wayne County
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Kathy McVey is our 2015 Stilwell Award winner. As the Environmental Enforcement Inspector for Cumberland County, Kathy's background includes both solid waste and law enforcement experience. She investigates complaints and prepares cases for Environ-mental Court. Kathy also has training in the management of hazardous waste, and operates the county's household hazardous waste facility. She has a reputation for dealing fairly with the public - both complainants and perpetrators, and uses her knowledge and abilities to provide public outreach and education through local events and programs, as well as through her relationship with the local media. 
Our first annual Stilwell Award was presented to Jeff Sparrow, Environmental Enforcement Officer for Wayne County. With a background in criminal justice and law enforcement, Jeff took on the task of enforcing the county's solid waste ordinance with what his superiors describe as enthusiasm and dedication. He searched out professional development programs that could expand his knowledge of solid waste laws and issues, and has always made it a point to stay up to date with changing technologies and practices. His department director says that Jeff's communication and organizational skills make him ideal for managing a high volume case load, and for handling recycling, waste diversion, and public outreach programs with equal effectiveness.