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“It feels very good to be able to look out into a sea of individuals who will fill vacancies and fill those seats to be the next set of leaders for ��ţӰ�� and ��ţӰ�� Health System,” Lofton said. “I’m extremely excited for all of the wonderful things that each of you will accomplish as we continue to move forward.”

The ceremony, which was the eighth Certificate of Excellence graduation since 2013, included employees who completed all required coursework to earn a certificate since July 2019, the last time a graduation was held before the pandemic interrupted what had typically been an annual program. To date, 610 certificates have been completed through , a unit in .

Rodney Reeves, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion program coordinator for the , was among the graduates in attendance to celebrate the accomplishment. Reeves completed the customer service certificate before the pandemic, and in 2022, took part in the Certified Executive Administrative Professional program, which led to his current role at Duke.

“The courses helped me organize how I can do my job better and gave me several different tips and strategies on how to interact with people,” Reeves said. “It taught me how to focus not just on the job but my mental health as well as the people I’m interacting with. It helped me understand their point of view and how to work together in a better way.” 

Last week’s ceremony was the final batch of certificates awarded under the requirements that had been in place since 2013. A new setup – which features new certificates of excellence tracks in Communication and Self-Leadership – took effect this year.

Under the new system, employees are required to register for a certificate program and must complete all courses within three years.

Learn more about how to get started on the path to completing a Certificate of Excellence .

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