WINTON – Teresa Cowan Bond was all smiles here earlier this month….in more ways than one.

Three days shy of her retirement, Bond was honored as the Hertford County local government Employee of the Year for fiscal year 2017-18. She serves as an administrative assistant in the office of County Manager Loria Williams as well as the Clerk to the Hertford County Board of Commissioners.

The announcement that Bond had won Employee of the Year honors came at the Sept. 4 regularly scheduled meeting of the commissioners, which represented the last time she would sit at the clerk’s desk.

“She exudes the core values of Hertford County (local government: teamwork, respect, integrity, professionalism, accountability, customer service, and leadership,” said Keri Askew, the county’s Human Resources Director, in making the announcement. “She always helps out wherever needed. She goes above and beyond, and is a pleasure to work with.”

“All of the adjectives that Keri used to describe you can’t even begin to address what you mean to this county,” said Board of Commissioners Vice Chairman Bill Mitchell as he congratulated Bond for receiving this esteem recognition.

“I do believe that you just received a check or some sort of gift card as part of your recognition…maybe that’s our way of trying to bribe you into staying with us,” Commissioner Johnnie Ray Farmer joked.

“It’s been a pleasure working with you,” Farmer continued on a serious note. “You’re always on top of things; you always get the job done. We thank you so much for all you have done for this board and this county, and we hope you enjoy retirement.”

“Congratulations on receiving this honor,” Commissioner Ronald Gatling told Bond.

“I’ve been on this board for less than two years and you (Bond) have been a lifesaver to me,” stated Commissioner John Horton. “I’ve really appreciated and admired your hard work and dedication to your daily tasks. I will miss you.”

Williams noted that she was impressed by Bond from day one.

“Teresa came to us after a long career in the private sector and I was amazed on how quickly she caught on to the things we do on a daily basis as a local government entity,” Williams remarked. “She has such a great work ethic.

“The Clerk’s job is so pivotal to what we do as a county government,” Williams added. “It takes a special individual to perform the duties as Clerk to the Board. Teresa did it well, perhaps the best I’ve ever seen. I am proud to have had the opportunity to have her work for me, with me, and beside me.”

County Attorney Charles “Chuck” Revelle praised Bond’s attention to detail.

“Most importantly, I praise her for the way she treats people when they come into the county’s office,” Revelle noted. “You are the face of the county for a lot of people. The impression those individuals walk away with when they leave your office is key. Those individuals may not always get want they want, but I think they feel like they were treated fairly and respectfully.”

Based off nominations, Hertford County local government has a program that recognizes Employees of the Quarter. Those four quarterly winners then vie for the Employee of the Year honors.