Celebrating Nurses 2010

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Celebrating Nurses 2010

Photos from the fifth annual AJC Jobs Nursing Excellence Awards event on May 5, 2010 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution honored 10 of Georgia's best nurses at the fifth annual AJC Jobs Nursing Excellence Awards event on May 5 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The winners are (front row from left) Carolyn Chucci, Barbara Burk, Margaret Shaw, Nancy Wood, Desiree McClendon (back row from left) Sonya Smith, Sheree Middleton, Ray Hoover, Vivian Abel and Alice Debate.

The keynote speaker at the event was Kaedy Kiely, morning radio host for 97.1 The River. "I feel like I'm in a room full of angels," said Kiely, who was treated for breast cancer at Atlanta's Piedmont Hospital in 2009. "Here I stand cancer-free, thanks to doctors, family, friends and, most of all, nurses; they were my angels."

Winner Vivian Abel (middle) is a nurse at Atlanta Medical Center. Congratulating Abel are WSB-TV news anchor and mistress of ceremonies Monica Pearson (right) and Rose Retter, recruitment sales manager of AJC Jobs.

Winner Barbara Burk (middle) is a nurse at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. Congratulating Burk are WSB-TV news anchor and mistress of ceremonies Monica Pearson (right) and Rose Retter, recruitment sales manager of AJC Jobs.

Winner Carolyn Chucci (middle) is a nurse at Athens Regional Medical Center. Congratulating Chucci are WSB-TV news anchor and mistress of ceremonies Monica Pearson (right) and Rose Retter, recruitment sales manager of AJC Jobs.

Winner Alice Debate (middle) is a nurse at Southeastern Gynecologic Oncology at St. Joseph's. Congratulating Debate are WSB-TV news anchor and mistress of ceremonies Monica Pearson (right) and Rose Retter, recruitment sales manager of AJC Jobs.

Winner Ray Hoover (middle) is a nurse at St. Mary's Hospital in Athens. Congratulating Hoover are WSB-TV news anchor and mistress of ceremonies Monica Pearson (right) and Rose Retter, recruitment sales manager of AJC Jobs.

Winner Desiree McClendon (middle) is a nurse at Newton Medical Center in Covington. Congratulating McClendon are WSB-TV news anchor and mistress of ceremonies Monica Pearson (right) and Rose Retter, recruitment sales manager of AJC Jobs.

Winner Sheree Middleton (middle) is a nurse at Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville. Congratulating Middleton are WSB-TV news anchor and mistress of ceremonies Monica Pearson (right) and Rose Retter, recruitment sales manager of AJC Jobs.

Winner Margaret Shaw (middle) is a former nurse at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta who now works for Visiting Nurse Hospice Atlanta. Congratulating Shaw are WSB-TV news anchor and mistress of ceremonies Monica Pearson (right) and Rose Retter, recruitment sales manager of AJC Jobs.

Winner Sonya Smith (middle) is a nurse at Piedmont Mountainside Hospital in Jasper. Congratulating Smith are WSB-TV news anchor and mistress of ceremonies Monica Pearson (right) and Rose Retter, recruitment sales manager of AJC Jobs.

Winner Nancy Wood (middle) is a nurse with Paulding County schools. Congratulating Wood are WSB-TV news anchor and mistress of ceremonies Monica Pearson (right) and Rose Retter, recruitment sales manager of AJC Jobs.

Nurse Aimee Wilensky (middle) accepted a framed nomination certificate and pin in memory of her mother, Brenda Jo "B.J." Kramer, a nurse at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta. Kramer passed away from cancer in 2009. Flanking Wilensky are WSB-TV news anchor and mistress of ceremonies Monica Pearson (left) and Rose Retter, recruitment sales manager of AJC Jobs.

Ray Hoover gets a hug from his daughter, Julia, 7, during the 2010 Nursing Excellence Awards event. Hoover, a nurse at St. Mary's Hospital in Athens, was one of the winners.

Winner Alice Debate, a nurse at Southeastern Gynecologic Oncology at St. Joseph's, looks at mistress of ceremonies Monica Pearson as she reads her nomination.

Sheree Middleton is congratulated by (from left) Carol Landaiche, Jennifer McMullen and Cynthia Jones after receiving her 2010 Nursing Excellence award. Middleton is a nurse at Newton Medical Center in Covington.

Ramona Talley, a Paulding County schools employee, watches as co-worker Nancy Wood receives her award.

A winning greeting: Alice Debate hugs Sonya Smith (left) as Ray Hoover and Vivian Abel look on after the 2010 Celebrating Nursing Excellence Awards event.

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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution honored 10 of Georgia's best nurses at the fifth annual AJC Jobs Nursing Excellence Awards event on May 5 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The winners are (front row from left) Carolyn Chucci, Barbara Burk, Margaret Shaw, Nancy Wood, Desiree McClendon (back row from left) Sonya Smith, Sheree Middleton, Ray Hoover, Vivian Abel and Alice Debate.

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