Wallace Bailey, left, a bus driver for Hamilton Elementary School, received the BRAVO Award from Colquitt County Board of Education Chairman Robby Pitts Monday night.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Hamilton Elementary School bus driver Wallace Bailey was named the BRAVO Employee of the Year at Monday night’s Board of Education meeting.

“The Colquitt County Schools’ BRAVO Employee of the Year is described as an employee who has friendly, caring, kind conversations with students that he knows by name,” said Superintendent Ben Wiggins during the presentation ceremony.

Bailey has been a bus driver at Hamilton Elementary for eight years and was nominated by Principal Krista Harrell. 

“Bailey is always a joy to have in the bus lines. He is one of the first drivers every morning and he always comes with a smile on his face,” said Harrell. “He always puts smiles on the faces of the kids.”

The BRAVO award stands for Balancing Responsibility and Achievement while Valuing Others. The award is in its 17th year and was created to promote the schools’ “shared values of excellence, innovation, continuous improvement, peer recognition and school spirit.” Each education site nominates a member of faculty or staff, and a committee of school public relations directors from surrounding counties determine finalists and the Employee of the Year winner, according to Wiggins. 

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event could not be held last year. The site representatives that were selected during the 2019-2020 school served as the representatives for this year’s award,” said School/Community Relations Coordinator Lou Ann Lardy in a previous interview.

The other two finalists were Lucy Peterson, a paraprofessional for Funston Elementary School, and network administrator Michael Lardy of Support Services. All site nominees received a plaque and $200 in “BRAVO Bucks.” Each of the three finalists received a trophy and an additional $200 in BRAVO Bucks, totaling $400.

Bailey received a trophy and a total of $600 in BRAVO Bucks along with a cash prize donated by Altman and Barrett Architects and a custom ring donated by Herff Jones. All BRAVO Bucks will be applied to the employee’s June paychecks, said Wiggins. 

All the nominees for the BRAVO Award were:

• Maria Alvarado, Colquitt County High School, receptionist, 15 years.

• Linda Furney, Cox Elementary School, Student Information, 6 years. Now at Central Office.

•  Sharon Hunt, Doerun Elementary School, paraprofessional, 6 years.

• Lucy Peterson, Funston Elementary School, paraprofessional, 16 years.

• Brenda Robinson, C.A. Gray Junior High School, paraprofessional, 35 years.

• Wallace Bailey, Hamilton Elementary School, bus driver, 8 years.

• Vinson Edwards, facilities/maintenance, turf maintenance, 11 years.

• Jessica Baxter, Norman Park Elementary School, paraprofessional, 4 years.

• Juana Bautista, J.M. Odom Elementary School, paraprofessional, 4 years.

• Tonja Merritt, Okapilco Elementary School, social worker, 6 years.

• LeAndra Gay, Stringfellow Elementary School, school nurse, 16 years. Now at Sunset Elementary School.

• Harrell Gant, Sunset Elementary School, paraprofessional, 9 years.

• Michael Lardy, Support Services, network administrator, 22 years.

• Glenda Howard, W.J. Williams Middle School, paraprofessional, 7 years.

• Barbara Hanna, R.B. Wright Elementary School, paraprofessional, 10 years.

In other action Monday, the Board of Education also heard from members of the audience. Austin Glass, Sarah Glass, Becky Glass and Brianna Smith spoke about issues they have been encountering with the Colquitt County High School Girls Varsity Volleyball coach Julia Okongwu. Austin and Becky Glass are parents of Sarah, who up until recently had been playing setter for the team.

The speakers’ main point of grievance is that Okongwu did not have the correct qualifications to be coaching volleyball and has been “verbally ridiculing” the players, Austin Glass said in an interview after the meeting. 

The board also heard from Director of Facilities Rick Gehle regarding an estimated $37,500 tennis court repairs and possible landscaping contracts, both of which will have proposals submitted during the June meeting. 

The board also took action on many items including the FY2021 budget adjustments; the FY2022 tentative proposed budget, field trips and pay scales; fundraising calendar and the Colquitt County School Nutrition Small Equipment Bid Recaps. The board also voted to begin work sessions an hour before regular meetings, beginning July 26. All items were accepted by the board.

The meeting ended after the board welcomed new head baseball coach Brandon Brock and new Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Jones.