Employees in Mandan and Fargo Receive ND DOCR Life Saving Awards
In May, Centre employees in Mandan and Fargo received North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (ND DOCR) Life Saving Awards for their actions in response to critical incidents at the Mandan Residential Reentry Center (RRC) in April and the Fargo Female RRC in February.
On May 7, 2025, ND DOCR Women’s Services Manager Cheryl Thomas and Transitional Facilities Contract Administrator Rick Hochhalter presented the awards in Mandan to Case Managers Twyla Johnson and Addy Kalvoda.
From left to right: ND DOCR Women’s Services Manager Cheryl Thomas, Case Manager Twyla Johnson, Case Manager Addy Kalvoda, ND DOCR Transitional Facilities Contract Administrator Rick Hochhalter. Photo courtesy of ND DOCR.
A couple weeks later, on May 21, 2025, Ms. Thomas and Mr. Hochhalter were in Fargo to present awards to Residential Specialists Lisa Bakke, Samantha Bates, and Sara Nguyen.
From left to right: Residential Specialist Lisa Bakke, ND DOCR Transitional Facilities Contract Administrator Rick Hochhalter, Residential Specialist Sara Nguyen, Residential Specialist Samantha Bates, ND DOCR Women’s Services Manager Cheryl Thomas
Following presentation of the awards, Ms. Thomas and Mr. Hochhalter issued a statement: “The DOCR wants to extend their gratitude to these five staff, as well as all Centre staff for their selfless actions each and every day to support the residents we serve. The positions we all hold have different challenges, but that does not take away from the important work that everyone does day to day, to create positive change in the residents’ lives. Thank you for the selfless work you all do and the positive changes you all help foster!”
Centre employees receive extensive ongoing training to ensure they are equipped to respond to the wide array of situations they can be presented with on a day-to-day basis. While these critical incidents are rare, the ability of employees to respond effectively and save lives is a testament to their dedication to provide a safe and secure environment for our residents working toward social reintegration.
Chris Althoff
HR Director