Two longtime Pottawatomie County District Attorney employees who feel passionate about their line of work have received state awards for their service.
Lorie Ball was named Outstanding Victim Witness Coordinator and Carrie Good was named Outstanding Secretary by the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association recently. The ODAA has more than 1,100 voting members.
Ball, who assists victims of crime, is a victim advocate both in and out of the courtroom and assists prosecutors in Pottawatomie and Lincoln counties. She’s been at the DA’s office for 12 years.
“I absolutely love my job. It can be stressful at times, but the reward of helping someone through a difficult process makes it all worthwhile,” Ball said. “I believe this is the place I am supposed to be working and the job title that I am to fulfill.”
Ball is a certified victim’s advocate through Washburn University; she maintains accreditation by attending several training events each year.
As he presented Ball with her award, District Attorney Richard Smothermon said, “If a district attorney could create the perfect victim witness coordinator, they would create her. Her passion and commitment to the victims and their cases is admirable.”
This is Ball’s second time to receive this award.
“It is an honor to receive the recognition for doing my job that I love so much, but I have to say that it is a privilege to serve the victims of our district,” Ball said, adding the biggest reward is working with Smothermon and “sharing the common goal of justice being served.”
Good is administrative assistant and paralegal to Smothermon. She said her duties include being the office’s finance and budget coordinator as well as its personnel and computer administrator, so she never gets bored.
“It has always been my passion to work in the legal profession,” she said. As a high school senior, she began working part-time for a Prague attorney in her hometown. While attending college, she continued working part-time in legal areas and then worked full-time for attorneys in private practice before joining the DA’s office 17 years ago. She worked at the Lincoln County DA’s office the first three years before moving to the Pottawatomie County office.
Good attended The University of Oklahoma College of Law and received her legal assistant certification in 1992; she received, with Summa Cum Laude honors, a bachelor of science degree in business administration from St. Gregory’s University in 2002. She worked in the office’s legal area for many years and became administrative assistant in 2003. The job allows her to utilize her business degree and do the legal work she enjoys.
“Carrie Good is so deserving of this honor. She consistently goes the extra mile and her sense of duty to this office is incredible.” Smothermon said.
For Good, there’s rewards in her work.
“Whether I’m actually working on the prosecution of a case or trying to juggle the budget issues to financially keep our office functioning, I feel that I’m part of a wonderful team and what we do here does made a difference,” Good said. “I’m really honored and grateful to receive this award. Having been nominated by my boss is an honor, but then being selected by elected district attorneys throughout the state, many of whom I respect and look up to, makes this honor even more special.”
Ball and her husband, Floyd Ball, live in Tecumseh with her son, Brandon Gamble. Ball’s oldest son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Jessica Gamble, live in Seminole with his three daughters, ages two months, 7 and 8. Ball said she calls them her “grand-girls.”
Good has lived in Prague her entire life. She and her husband, Dennis Good, have a son, Dillon, who is an eighth grader at Liberty Academy.
Also at the ODAA banquet, two other employees, Toni Bryce and Sherry Jeske were honored for their 25 years of service at the District Attorney’s Office. Watch upcoming editions for more about them.
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Kim Morava may be reached at 214-3962.
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Two longtime Pottawatomie County District Attorney employees who feel passionate about their line of work have received state awards for their service.
Lorie Ball was named Outstanding Victim Witness Coordinator and Carrie Good was named Outstanding Secretary by the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association recently. The ODAA has more than 1,100 voting members.
Ball, who assists victims of crime, is a victim advocate both in and out of the courtroom and assists prosecutors in Pottawatomie and Lincoln counties. She’s been at the DA’s office for 12 years.
“I absolutely love my job. It can be stressful at times, but the reward of helping someone through a difficult process makes it all worthwhile,” Ball said. “I believe this is the place I am supposed to be working and the job title that I am to fulfill.”
Ball is a certified victim’s advocate through Washburn University; she maintains accreditation by attending several training events each year.
As he presented Ball with her award, District Attorney Richard Smothermon said, “If a district attorney could create the perfect victim witness coordinator, they would create her. Her passion and commitment to the victims and their cases is admirable.”
This is Ball’s second time to receive this award.
“It is an honor to receive the recognition for doing my job that I love so much, but I have to say that it is a privilege to serve the victims of our district,” Ball said, adding the biggest reward is working with Smothermon and “sharing the common goal of justice being served.”
Good is administrative assistant and paralegal to Smothermon. She said her duties include being the office’s finance and budget coordinator as well as its personnel and computer administrator, so she never gets bored.
“It has always been my passion to work in the legal profession,” she said. As a high school senior, she began working part-time for a Prague attorney in her hometown. While attending college, she continued working part-time in legal areas and then worked full-time for attorneys in private practice before joining the DA’s office 17 years ago. She worked at the Lincoln County DA’s office the first three years before moving to the Pottawatomie County office.
Good attended The University of Oklahoma College of Law and received her legal assistant certification in 1992; she received, with Summa Cum Laude honors, a bachelor of science degree in business administration from St. Gregory’s University in 2002. She worked in the office’s legal area for many years and became administrative assistant in 2003. The job allows her to utilize her business degree and do the legal work she enjoys.
“Carrie Good is so deserving of this honor. She consistently goes the extra mile and her sense of duty to this office is incredible.” Smothermon said.
For Good, there’s rewards in her work.
“Whether I’m actually working on the prosecution of a case or trying to juggle the budget issues to financially keep our office functioning, I feel that I’m part of a wonderful team and what we do here does made a difference,” Good said. “I’m really honored and grateful to receive this award. Having been nominated by my boss is an honor, but then being selected by elected district attorneys throughout the state, many of whom I respect and look up to, makes this honor even more special.”
Ball and her husband, Floyd Ball, live in Tecumseh with her son, Brandon Gamble. Ball’s oldest son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Jessica Gamble, live in Seminole with his three daughters, ages two months, 7 and 8. Ball said she calls them her “grand-girls.”
Good has lived in Prague her entire life. She and her husband, Dennis Good, have a son, Dillon, who is an eighth grader at Liberty Academy.
Also at the ODAA banquet, two other employees, Toni Bryce and Sherry Jeske were honored for their 25 years of service at the District Attorney’s Office. Watch upcoming editions for more about them.
———
Kim Morava may be reached at 214-3962.
