Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Centralina Regional Council (Centralina) has announced the recipients of its 2024 Region of Excellence Awards.
Presented annually, these awards recognize individuals, communities and organizations for their outstanding achievements over the previous calendar year in support of Centralina’s mission to expand opportunity and improve quality of life in the nine-county region. The region includes Anson, Cabarrus, Gaston, Lincoln, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly and Union counties.
An independent panel of judges selected the award winners.
The award categories and winners included City of Albemarle for Cross-Community Collaboration — awarded for demonstrating the value of partnerships across communities to achieve better outcomes for their community.
The city won for Project Next Step, a summer program designed to improve students’ access to innovative learning strategies and engage local students in quality, interactive enrichment opportunities with Stanly Community College.
By integrating academic enrichment with real-world experiences, the program was able to broaden the horizons of many Albemarle Middle School students and prepare them for future academic success.
The city also won the Local Government Innovation honor — awarded to governments making optimum use of resources while being innovative and bringing value to our communities.
Albemarle’s Strategic Plan was developed to make the most of city operations and resources while providing maximum value to residents. Recognizing the need for an innovative way to tie together organizational and financial planning processes, the city created a strategic plan that has measurably increased resident satisfaction, enhanced internal teamwork and better aligned city staff and elected officials.
Former Albemarle City Manager Michael Ferris was honored with the James D. Prosser Excellence in Government Leadership Award, given to an individual who exemplifies and promotes excellence in government, outstanding leadership and high ethical standards.
Ferris has exemplified the qualities of excellence throughout his nearly 30 years of service to the City of Albemarle, Centralina said.
His career is a testament to creative problem-solving, visionary leadership and a deep commitment to ethical standards that has left a lasting impact on both the community and the organization he led.
Beginning his tenure with Albemarle in 1997 as assistant city manager and serving as city manager from 2014 until his retirement in February 2024, Ferris played a pivotal role in transforming the city from a former textile mill town into a vibrant and modern community.
“We are excited to celebrate the positive impact of this year’s Region of Excellence Award winners,” said Geraldine Gardner, executive director of Centralina. “From individual examples of leadership to innovative local government action, we are proud to lift up examples of great work across our region.”
Centralina Regional Council is a public organization that was established to serve the needs of the greater Charlotte region, including Anson, Cabarrus, Gaston, Lincoln, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly and Union counties.
Its mission is to lead regional collaboration and spark local action to expand opportunity and improve quality of life. The organization is governed by a Board of Delegates, comprised of local government members, and is one of 16 regional councils in North Carolina enabled by the General Assembly.
For more information, visit www.centralina.org.