Mental Health Association awards
By Matt Shaw
Published in News on January 30, 2004 2:01 PM
The Mental Health Association in Wayne County gave its top awards to board member Libby Dukay and volunteer Edith Holloman.
The awards were made at the association's annual meeting Thursday at the Goldsboro Country Club.
The board also installed its 2004 officers. Outgoing president Michael Herring passed the gavel to John Chance. The other officers are President-Elect Pat Faulk, Secretary Libby Dukay and Treasurer Kim Bunch.
The S.B. McPheeters Award, which goes to the outstanding member of the association's board of directors, was given to Ms. Dukay. The award was presented by Dr. Betty Slowinski, last year's winner.
Ms. Dukay, the adult and family services coordinator with Eastpointe mental health services, is entering her seventh year on the association's board, Mrs. Slowinksi said.
Ms. Dukay is chairman of a committee that deals with depression screening and typically volunteers many hours a month, often in middle and high schools, promoting depression's causes and treatments, Mrs. Slowinski said. "Libby is excellent with this age group and has been instrumental in developing this program for our association."
Ms. Dukay has also coordinated the association's participation in many health fairs throughout the county.
"Reducing the stigma of mental illness is one of our main goals, and through education of our community we are realizing success," Mrs. Slowinski said. "Libby has demonstrated a devoted determination in depression education and has been a leader in our efforts to reach our goal."
The A.H. Zealy Award, given to the top volunteer, was given to Mrs. Holloman, who volunteers with the association's "Pierre the Pelican" program.
The award was presented by incoming President-Elect Pat Faulk, who said Mrs. Holloman had given the association hundreds of hours to enter the names of new parents into a database for the "Pierre the Pelican" newsletter.
Doing this work has been vital to the success of the program, Mrs. Faulk said.
Both women expressed gratitude to the association for the awards.
The S.B. McPheeters Award was named for the late Dr. S.B. McPheeters who was the director of the Wayne County Health Department and instrumental in the formation of the Mental Health Association in 1961.
The Dr. A. Hazel Zealy Jr. Award is named for a former general practitioner who was the association's first president. His efforts helped found the county's mental health clinic.