Robin Caldwell, emergency management director in Cherokee County, has been honored with the 2020 Colonel Phillip Nichlos Waters Award.
This award is presented to the local emergency management director who has demonstrated outstanding achievement and contributed to the overall good and advancement of emergency management in the state, according to a release.
Caldwell began with Cherokee County as the emergency management/Emergency Medical Services administrative assistant in 1997, then became emergency management coordinator in 2004. The release from the county says she has shown great leadership by “demonstrating her willingness to help by taking care of residents and visitors as well as reaching out to people in other counties.”
“She has always been ready to help, going beyond the call of duty,” the release says. Caldwell “is calm during emergency situations, and very dedicated to her profession and the county that she calls home.”
One neighboring county emergency management pointed out “how she puts the needs of her community, people and county before her own. She sees a need and responds to it.”
Whether it be in the day-to-day operations of the office, a major event, a natural disaster or the COVID-19 pandemic, Caldwell leads and directs with purpose and resolve, the release says.
Caldwell was called a team player who values the input of others. “She is a hard worker and a forward-thinker; continually learning and working toward the goal of making her county a safer place to live, work and play.” Over the years, Caldwell has earned the respect of her superiors and peers, both locally and across the state, because of her strong leadership ability and passion for emergency management.
Assistant county manager Maria Hass described a deep fondness and respect for Caldwell, not only as emergency management director, but also as a female colleague who demonstrates extraordinary leadership.
“It is not always easy, as women, to advance in the workplace or to be taken seriously, but she has proven herself time and again,” Hass said. “She is carving the path for other women in her field and the public sector.”
The assistant EMS chief said Caldwell “is an outstanding professional, mentor, teacher and colleague, but I believe she should be viewed first as an outstanding leader. She is and has been a leader of those of us in the profession and a leader for the profession itself.”
County Manager Randy Wiggins considers Caldwell one of the key team members across a variety of issues due to her attention to detail and tireless dedication.
Caldwell has led the county through response to floods, tornados, droughts, wildfires and COVID-19. In addition, she has led efforts to keep the public safe and county running during the 2016 fuel shortage and 2017 eclipse event.
The release says Caldwell has worked tirelessly to develop the local and regional All-Hazards Mitigation Plans and Emergency Operating Procedures. She commandingly has managed many search and rescue events involving the coordination of many volunteers.
In 2017, Caldwell was successful through a lot of hard work and planning to have obtain StormReady status for the county. Her work with the schools and partner public safety agencies with table-top and active emergency training exercises for active shooter, mass casualty and other events have greatly enhanced their preparedness.
Caldwell has been a staunch advocate for emergency management in Cherokee County as well as surrounding counties and across the state, serving the N.C. Emergency Management Association on various committees and leading this organization into 2022.