Georgia Coastal Health District

September 25, 2014 – Liberty County Health Department employee and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clerk, Jonell Bacon-Seward, was recently named the 2014 WIC Customer Service Award Winner for the Coastal Health District. Bacon-Seward was recognized at the Georgia WIC Customer Service Conference in Atlanta where more than 400 county, district, state, and federal WIC staff members were in attendance.
“Receiving this award was a great and unexpected surprise,” said Bacon-Seward. “It was a great honor to be nominated and chosen for employee of the year for WIC customer service. This lets me know that I am recognized and appreciated for the work that I do.”
Bacon-Seward has worked for the health department in the WIC program for close to 16 years and her responsibilities include issuing individuals enrolled in the WIC program supplemental food vouchers when applicable and making sure that processing standards are met according to WIC guidelines. WIC is a federally funded nutrition education program that provides supplemental food, nutrition education, social service and health referrals to income eligible pregnant or postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five, to improve their health outcomes.
Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), presented special awards honoring district WIC staff members from each of Georgia’s 18 public health districts. Each of the WIC employees were chosen for special notice because they evidenced one or more of the following criteria: years of service, Georgia WIC outreach, customer service, leadership in WIC service delivery.
“The employees who were lauded as District Georgia WIC Employees of the Year provided exemplary service to the Georgia WIC Program over the past years,” said Barbara Stahnke, MEd, RD, Ld, Nutrition Program Specialist for the Georgia Department of Public Health Division of Health Promotion, Nutrition and WIC Section. “Georgia WIC wants to thank all of our WIC providers, and most especially the providers recognized for their exemplary service.”