Special To The Mississippi Link
JACKSON – Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Executive Director Trudy Fisher and Human Resources Director Terri Torrence received an Excellence in State Government Award from Mississippi’s governor Phil Bryant.
The Excellence in Government Awards are presented by the Mississippi State Personnel Board.
“Our state is fortunate to have 30,000 men and women dedicated to making Mississippi a better place for all of us,” said Fisher. “They are the public servants that provide public safety, make sure our air is healthy to breathe and our waters safe for fishing and swimming, they teach us boating safety, protect our public health, build our bridges and highways, and protect the most vulnerable in our society. The list is endless.”
Fisher said each of those men and women are not only an asset to the state, but they are in fact, the state’s only renewable resource.
“Too often it seems Mississippi’s work force is viewed as an ‘expenditure’ rather than an ‘asset,’” she said.
Fisher said while she was honored to receive an award from the governor, she was ‘more excited’ for her co-worker, Terri Torrence, who launched many innovative initiatives at MDEQ including the ATLAS staff training program launched in 2007 and which has now grown to four classes.
“Success truly breeds success as our training programs for new employees grew out of that program – Onboard and 3G,” Fisher said. “And I owe Terri a huge debt of gratitude for having the courage to walk into the office of a new director and start a meeting with one of my favorite phrases, ‘I have an idea.’”
Fisher said providing employees with opportunities for leadership development, growth as a people, and renewing the mind, soul and body is always the right thing to do.
“And, I couldn’t be more proud that these efforts are recognized and can serve as models for other public servants,” she said.
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