10/22/2026
Carteret County is pleased to recognize Paul Burkhardt, Parks Maintenance Technician with Carteret County Parks & Recreation, as the October recipient of the Jaime Hicks Long Employee of the Month Award.
Paul has served Carteret County for nearly two decades and takes pride in maintaining Eastern Park in Smyrna. His work includes mowing fields, clearing parking lots during snowstorms, and making sure ballfields are ready for games and tournaments.
While Eastern Park is his main work location, Paul also helps maintain parks across the county. From installing a new pitcher’s mound at Western Park to spreading mulch at Fort Benjamin Park, mowing at Freedom Park, and replacing base anchors at Swinson Park, he is always willing to help where needed.
Paul shares his experience with new employees and provides input on equipment and repairs. He also adjusts his schedule to support evening and weekend games, often preparing fields between games. Paul is always willing to step up when help is needed, but he is quick to give his coworkers credit for their work. Rather than focusing on his own contributions, he points to the team and the effort it takes to get the job done.
His work recently caught the attention of a parent who attended the Crystal Coast Wood Bat Baseball Tournament at Eastern Park. Despite three days of extreme heat, Paul helped keep bathrooms stocked, trash picked up, dugouts clean, and fields ready for each game. The parent, who has visited ballfields across North Carolina and other states, called Eastern Park’s grounds crew the best they had seen. They also shared that visiting teams praised the condition of the fields throughout the tournament.
Congratulations to Paul Burkhardt on being named the October Jaime Hicks Long Employee of the Month, and thank you for your many years of service to Carteret County!
