The N.C. Center for Voter Education honored a Cabarrus County 4-H agent, a longtime legislative staff attorney, a Raleigh City Council member and a Triangle-area television station for their contributions to North Carolina at the 2011 Spectrum of Democracy Awards.

At the event held on Feb. 24 in Raleigh, Heather Jones was named "Outstanding Citizen," Councilor Bonner Gaylord was selected as "Outstanding Public Servant" and NBC-17 was chosen as "Outstanding Media Organization." Bill Gilkeson received the inaugural Robert Morgan Service Award.

"Too often lost among bitter partisan squabbling are the uplifting stories of people working selflessly to make a positive difference for North Carolina,” said Damon Circosta, executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education. “We are very pleased to highlight the important contributions that these award recipients have made to empower and engage citizens in our democracy.”

This was the second year of the awards event and the first year in which the organization gave the Robert Morgan Service Award, named after former U.S. Sen. Robert Morgan, founding president of the N.C. Center for Voter Education.

The evening was made especially poignant by remarks of the award recipients and the attendance of their friends and families. Kevin Hight, last year's "Outstanding Citizen" award recipient and a longtime teacher at Terry Sanford High School in Fayetteville, presented the same award to Jones. Mary Morgan, daughter of former Sen. Robert Morgan, shared stories of her father's service and character in presenting the award bearing his name to Gilkeson.

About the 2011 Spectrum of Democracy Award recipients:

Bill Gilkeson -- Robert Morgan Service Award

In 2010, Bill Gilkeson retired as a staff attorney in the N.C. General Assembly after 25 years of service to the state. In the more than two decades that he served in the legislature, Gilkeson provided trusted and thoughtful counsel to Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike as an election-law expert. He is emblematic of the many dedicated legislative staff members who quietly and diligently provide vital support to legislators of both parties as they craft laws for North Carolina.

Heather Jones -- Outstanding Citizen

As a 4-H agent in Cabarrus County, Heather Jones created a youth leadership program engaging area high school students in local government. The program allows students to visit the Cabarrus County Governmental Center, take part in a county budget-writing simulation and interact with locally elected officials. Nearly 90 percent of students who have taken part in the program say it has instilled in them a better understanding of their duties as citizens.

Bonner Gaylord -- Outstanding Public Servant

Raleigh City Councilor Bonner Gaylord represents District E, where he has been a lifelong resident. He is on the forefront of utilizing technology to connect citizens with their government, implementing the “SeeClickFix” program, an online application that allows community members to alert city officials and neighbors to areas in need of improvement -- from potholes to unsafe intersections.

NBC-17 -- Outstanding Media Organization

In 2010, Raleigh-based NBC-17 excelled in providing citizens with comprehensive coverage of the candidates courting their vote. Partnering with the League of Women Voters of North Carolina, NBC-17 presented a series of in-depth televised congressional and senatorial debates moderated by anchor and political reporter Kim Genardo. These debates spanned last year's primary, runoff and general elections.