ATLANTA – The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles has announced the agency’s annual employee awards for 2026. 

The awards were presented at the agency’s annual staff meeting held at Indian Springs State Park in Butts County. The five-member Georgia Parole Board joined agency leadership in presenting the awards. 

The awards and recipients are:

Rising Star Award: Honoring Shenika Wright

Director’s Award: Honoring Janelle Edwards

Innovations Award: Honoring Post-Release Considerations Team 

Community Impact Inreach Award: Honoring Toni Bell

Community Outreach Award: Honoring Latwanda Langdon

Katie Turner Employee of the Year Award: Honoring Jennifer Scott

GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) Award: Honoring Catherine-Denise Jones

Executive Director of the Georgia Parole Board, Chris Barnett joined the parole board members in recognizing the employees.

“These recipients are representative of our agency workforce as a whole. Each of these award winners have continuously contributed to our agency’s public safety goals. Although they are individuals with specific roles within our agency, they represent the “team” approach that is necessary for any state agency to succeed in making Georgia the best place to live, work, and raise a family,” stated Barnett.

Executive Director Barnett received special recognition from agency staff for a decade of leadership. Barnett was given the “Leadership Award” marking his tenure as Executive Director of the agency, which began in 2015.

Details of each annual award recipient are as follows:

Rising Star Award: Shenika Wright, GCIC TAC and Assistant Team Lead for the GCIC/Violations Unit

The “Rising Star” award honors an individual that is relatively new to the agency who not only stands out in their day-to-day work but also embraces every opportunity and takes on additional responsibilities without hesitation.

Wright joined the agency in March 2024 and was promoted to a management position in July 2025. She embodies excellence and professionalism when representing the Post-Release Considerations Division and the agency. With a perfect balance of confidence and humility, she has embraced her role with a steadfast commitment to ensuring agency practices align with policy. Since stepping into her leadership position, she has:

- Studied current protocols and provided key improvement recommendations to leadership.

- Partnered with Human Resources to implement a new procedure ensuring compliance with GBI GCIC Policy.

- Instrumental in connecting DJJ and GBI to ensure that the new DJJ terminal operators received essential terminal operator training.

- Implemented the “Huddle Approach” to team management.

- Graduated from the Management Essential Training Program.

Shenika Wright demonstrates highly effective professional communication and utilizes those skills to foster good relationships with partner agencies. 

 

Director’s Award: Janelle Edwards, Human Resources Operations Manager

The Director’s Award recognizes an individual whose vision, initiative, and commitment to excellence exemplify the best of public service. This recognition is reserved for someone who consistently goes above and beyond, not only in accomplishing their responsibilities but also in creating opportunities that strengthen the agency and expand agency impact.

This year’s recipient, Janelle Edwards, approaches every challenge with creativity, determination, and a fresh perspective. She consistently thinks beyond conventional solutions and her ability to transform ideas into results has helped position the agency as a leader in innovation and collaboration. Her contributions are numerous and have had a meaningful impact on the agency, its partners, and the future professionals she has inspired.

One of her most notable accomplishments this year was her leadership in developing new internships and service-learning opportunities for students. When presented with a request from Kennesaw State University (KSU) to provide opportunities for ten honor students, she did not see an obstacle but saw a possibility. Through extensive research, planning, and collaboration with agency leadership, Edwards laid the foundation for a new hybrid internship model and created a unique service-learning experience that showcased the agency's work in a dynamic and engaging way.

As a result of her efforts, the agency became the first to host a cohort of ten KSU Honor Students in an immersive learning experience. The experience left a lasting impression on the students and highlighted the agency's commitment to education, community engagement, and workforce development.

Edwards’s willingness to embrace challenges, her innovative mindset, and her dedication to creating opportunities for others reflect the highest standards of leadership and service. 

 

Team Innovations Award: Post-Release Considerations Team 

The Team Innovations Award recognizes a group whose creativity, collaboration, and vision have resulted in a meaningful improvement that benefits both the agency and its employees.

This year’s recipient focused on preparing parole employees for success.

Through research, planning, creativity, and teamwork, the Post-Release Considerations Team developed an innovative and structured resource designed to help employees prepare for career advancement opportunities. The work resulted in the creation of the “Peer Representative Enrichment Panel,” or “PREP,” an engaging and accessible program that combines practical guidance, supporting materials, and modern media tools to help employees sharpen their interview skills and increase their confidence.

What makes this project especially remarkable is that it was conceived, designed, tested, and implemented entirely through the passion and commitment of a team determined to invest in the success of others. 

The team’s vision, collaboration, and dedication exemplify the spirit of innovation. The Post-Release Considerations Team includes Former Scanning Unit Team Member Shelagh McKenna, Pardon Admin Team Member Kierra Joiner, District Operations Manager Mike Kinsaul, District Operations Manager Tabetha Rand, Interstate Compact Team Lead Hermina Rowe, and Scan Team Lead Tina Ruck.

 

Community Impact Inreach Award: Toni Bell, Victims Services Specialist, Georgia Office of Victim Services (GOVS)

The Community Impact Inreach Award honors an individual who goes above and beyond to serve and support those within the agency. The award recognizes excellence and a spirit of service that uplifts coworkers and improves teamwork.

This year’s recipient exemplifies that spirit in every way.

Toni Bell’s generosity extends well beyond the office. She has personally delivered meals and care packages to coworkers during times of grief, driven colleagues to medical appointments, and provided support whenever it was needed, never seeking recognition or anything in return. Her quiet acts of service remind others that they are seen, appreciated, and cared for.

In a profession that carries significant emotional demands, Bell helps sustain the well-being and morale of those around her. Through her selfless commitment to others, attention to detail, and unwavering kindness, she has become a source of stability, encouragement, and strength for the entire agency. 

Known as the "heart of GOVS," Bell goes far beyond her professional responsibilities to ensure her colleagues feel valued and supported. She keeps the office stocked with snacks, drinks, and other comforts, organizes celebrations for birthdays, graduations, baby showers, and other milestones, and creates opportunities for fellowship that strengthen relationships across the agency. Her thoughtful gestures, from handwritten cards and seasonal decorations to her famous fruit salad, help foster a welcoming and uplifting work environment.

 

Community Outreach Award: Latwanda Langdon, GPEDS, Pre-Release Considerations Division

The Community Outreach Award recognizes an individual whose commitment to service extends far beyond the workplace and into the community. It honors those who dedicate their time, talents, and energy to making a meaningful difference in the lives of others, often without recognition and always with compassion.

This year, the agency recognizes a true servant leader whose impact has touched countless individuals and families throughout Georgia. 

For more than a decade, Latwanda Langdon has devoted herself to violence prevention and youth development as the Director of Outreach for “No Mo Murders Stop The Violence, Inc.,” providing young people with the guidance and support needed to build brighter futures and make positive choices.

Langdon’s commitment to service also includes community partnerships across the state of Georgia, where she has helped connect families with critical resources and support systems to address the needs of families facing difficult circumstances.

In addition, she serves the Women’s Worth Foundation, supporting survivors of domestic violence through access to transitional shelters, counseling services, and intervention programs, designed to promote healing and long-term safety.

As a member of the “Queens of Harley Motorcycle Club,” Langdon helps organize and participate in numerous service projects each year. Most recently, she hosted a Community Health Fair at Stonecrest Mall, bringing valuable health resources and information directly to community members.

 

Katie Turner Employee of the Year Award: Jennifer Scott, Parole Investigator, Investigations Division

The Katie Turner Employee of the Year Award recognizes excellence in job performance and the dedication, reliability, and leadership that inspire excellence in others.

Jennifer Scott has consistently exceeded expectations in every aspect of her work. As one of the top-performing Parole Investigators in the state of Georgia, she demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to excellence. Routinely surpassing performance standards while maintaining the highest level of professionalism and quality.

Scott’s dedication extends beyond her caseload, and she consistently demonstrates her commitment to professional growth and accountability. Equally impressive is her willingness to support those around her. Whether assisting a colleague, sharing her knowledge, or volunteering to take on additional responsibilities, she is always ready to help. In her own words, she simply wants to do more to support the team.

Her outstanding work ethic, selfless attitude, and unwavering commitment to excellence make her a model employee and a deserving recipient of this honor. The agency proudly recognizes Jennifer Scott for her remarkable contributions and the positive impact that she makes every day.

 

GOAT Award: Catherine-Denise Jones, Admin Support, Post-Release Considerations Division

The GOAT Award, Greatest Of All Time, is reserved for individuals whose service, dedication, and influence rise above the ordinary and leave a lasting legacy. 

As the agency's longest-serving team member, Catherine-Denise Jones could easily rely on her years of experience and simply fulfill the expectations of her role. Instead, she continues to lead by example, demonstrating the same passion, commitment, and servant-hearted spirit that has defined her career from the very beginning.

Beyond her regular responsibilities, she consistently looks for ways to make the agency stronger. She partnered with the Agency’s Receptionist Team, where she developed an innovative mail scanning process that improved daily operations and efficiency. She serves as a trusted ambassador for the agency, readily assisting both Human Resources and Information Technology whenever support is needed.

Within the Post Release Considerations Divisions, Jones ensures that life's important milestones are celebrated. She takes the time to recognize veterans, graduates, newlyweds, and growing families, creating a culture where people feel valued and appreciated. Her commitment to service extends beyond the agency. Through her partnership with Covenant House, she has organized meaningful community service opportunities that allow her colleagues to give back and make a difference in the lives of others.

What makes her truly exceptional is not simply the length of her service, but the depth of her impact. She has spent her career lifting others up, improving the workplace, strengthening the community, and setting a standard of excellence that inspires everyone around her. Her contributions are too numerous to fully capture, and her legacy is woven into the very fabric of this agency.

Catherine-Denies Jones is recognized for her unwavering dedication, extraordinary service, and enduring influence.

 

For more information contact [email protected].