Employees with the Dawson County Sheriff's Office are expected to set positive examples not only in their community but also in their roles on the job.

On Saturday, Sheriff Billy Carlisle invited his employees to an annual Christmas banquet and honored six individuals who "set the standard for others and strive for perfection."

A first in the department's history, all six of the division employees of the year are women.

With about a third of the department's nearly  120 employees being female, Carlisle said, "We've never had this happen before, and they all truly deserve it."

Lt. Col. Greg Rowan said he was not surprised. "They set a standard for everyone else here," he said.

Each division commander chooses their employee of the year, while the entire sheriff's staff nominates the overall top employee.

Amy Greene, who oversees the department's human resources, was the overwhelming winner, receiving more votes than any other employee, "by far," Rowan said.

Hired at a time when the department received more than 100 applications, Greene was Rowan's recommendation from the beginning.

"She walked in and it was like she had been here forever," he said.

Described as a person who goes out of her way to help others, Greene continuously scores the highest on departmental evaluations.

"It's because she deserves it. She's just continuously trying to better what she does and better this department, and that's the honest truth," Rowan said.

Division commanders said their choices for employees of the year were based on similar work ethics, as well as accomplishments made throughout the year.

Maj. John Cagle named Sgt. Jennifer Wright as investigation's top employee for 2009.

In her newest assignment in the drug unit, Wright was the lead investigator on two high profile methamphetamine cases, resulting in taking several suspected dealers off the streets of Dawson County.

"I don't know if it's instinct or what, but she's got it. She's just really, really good," Cagle said.

Jessica Kraft is another quick study, according to Maj. Brandy Branson, who commands patrol.

Kraft transitioned from court services to the patrol unit about a year ago and then quickly moved up to the K-9 taskforce.

"She's relatively new to the division, but she's excelled with the dog, which is a challenging thing in itself," Branson said. "With Jessica, everything is perfect, and as a supervisor that is what you look for, somebody who strives for perfection and she does that everyday."

Katie Drum, a sergeant in the detention center, also exemplifies the same standards of perfection, said Jail Commander Maj. Jeff Johnson, who asked his lieutenants to also select their top choice.

"When I pulled the lists together, Katie was the top one in all three," Johnson said. "I wish I had a bunch of Katie Drums in there. She's just a model employee, does everything that is expected of her and goes above and beyond." 

Warrants Clerk Diana Moore also always gives 110 percent, according to division leader Lt. Tony Wooten.

"Diana is the glue that holds this division together. She's a great help for me," Wooten said. "When I looked at who to pick for this award, obviously I've got several good officers that every year could be honored, but this year, I feel she's the one that makes sure every day that things are getting done the right way."

Director of 911 Debra Wimpy began looking for her department's employee of the year months ago.

"All of my employees do such a good job, so I enlist the help of the people they deal with," Wimpy said. "And when a supervisor tells me they'd rather work with Tasha Tolbert more than anybody else, I pay attention."

"Tasha has a good career with Dawson County," Wimpy added.