DAQ Names Employee, Team of the Year for 2005

The Division of Air Quality recently held its seventh Employee Recognition Awards ceremony, with Paul Muller of the Asheville Regional Office named as the 2005 DAQ Employee of the Year. The Stationary Source Compliance Branch Enforcement Staff was named the 2005 DAQ Team of the Year.

Muller, supervisor of the Asheville Regional Office, was recognized for his strong staff leadership and guidance. Paul also was cited for his active involvement and leadership in Asheville area community efforts such as the Early Action Compact for Ozone Attainment, Clean Air Coalition, Clean Cities, and VISTAS. The Land-Of-Sky Regional Council gave Paul its Outstanding Committee Service Award in 2005 for his efforts in local air quality programs. Muller also has been actively involved in regional efforts such as the Southern Appalachian Mountains Initiative, which laid the groundwork for North Carolina's Clean Smokestacks Act.

The SSCB Enforcement team included Agyeman Adu-Poku, Amy Vanderkop, Betty Gatano, Michael Pjetraj and Ruchi Singhal of DAQ Technical Services. The SSCB Enforcement team was recognized for several notable achievements, including coordinating MACT outreach and enforcement strategies, working with the Division of Waste Management to improve the compliance rate for dry cleaners, increasing the collections rate for delinquent penalty cases, and improving the timeliness for processing enforcement cases.

Other nominees for DAQ Employee of the Year included Keith Overcash, Robert Bright, Ed Martin, Michael Brandon, Heather Hawkins, Tammy Manning, George Bridgers, Mark Yoder, Bonnie Jordan, Don van der Vaart, Kim Gold, Tammie Watkins, Travis Funderburk, and Alyson Dyson. Other nominees for the Team of the Year included the Winston-Salem Regional Office Permits Group, Winston-Salem Regional Office Compliance Staff, Raleigh Central Office BART Team, Clean Smokestacks Act Mercury and Carbon Dioxide Reports Team.

Email us