For Immediate Release

Oct. 25, 2019

Media Contact:

Amy Webb
Chief of Communications
[email protected]

Marci Manley
Deputy Chief of Communications
[email protected]

DHS Names Employee of the Year, Seven Others Honored

The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Arkansas Human Services Employee Association named Julie McLaughlin as employee of the year during a banquet Thursday night.

McLaughlin has spent the last 19 years at DHS and currently serves as a Program Eligibility Analyst for the White County office. She has trained countless fellow employees and has taken the lead for the DHS Division of County Operations on several key projects. One of McLaughlin’s co-workers described her as a person with a servant’s heart and a positive attitude. Today, the conference room in the office of the Secretary will be renamed for the year in McLaughlin’s honor.  

“Julie has been instrumental in developing new processes and trainings, mentoring her colleagues, and helping the agency navigate the implementation of large-scale IT projects, including the new eligibility system that we are developing,” said DHS Secretary Cindy Gillespie. “When she sees a problem, she doesn’t sit idly by waiting for others to step up – she finds a way to fix it. She is a role model for all of us at DHS.”

Seven other employees were honored with Employee of the Year awards for each of their respective divisions and for the shared services offices collectively. Those winners are:

• Paula Stone, Division of Medical Services (DMS)
• Natasha Lucas, Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services (DAABHS)
• Nancy Holder, Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS)
• Joyelle Mitchell, Division of Youth Services (DYS)
• Dana “Dee” Briscoe, Division of Provider Services & Quality Assurance (DPSQA)
• Sherri Burris, Division of Child & Family Services (DCFS)
• Kelli Hilburn, Division of Child Care & Early Childhood Education (DCCECE)
• Lainey Morrow, DHS Shared Services (finance, communications, legal, procurement, IT, HR, and security and compliance)

DHS is always looking to hire outstanding individuals like these. For more information on job openings at DHS or how you can start here and grow here, visit http://www.arkansas.gov/dhs/oas/jobs/. 

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