Commissioner : Gregory C. Dozier

Director of Public Affairs : Joan Heath

Steve Upton Recognized

FORSYTH, Ga. –  The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) honored Steve Upton, Retired, Director of Facilities Operations, with the Commissioner’s Award at the 14th Annual GDC Awards ceremony on June 19 at GDC headquarters in Forsyth, Ga.

Several key officials were on hand for the ceremony, which was attended by more than 200 guests. Making the award presentation with Commissioner Greg Dozier was Chief of Staff Timothy C. Ward, Assistant Commissioners Ricky Myrick, Scott Poitevint, Jay Sanders, Randy Sauls, and Assistant Director of Professional Development Tim Williams and Director of Professional Standards Clay Nix.

“We appreciate Steve’s dedicated service to this state and his commitment to the GDC mission of protecting the public,” said Commissioner Gregory Dozier. “He has made a difference in the agency and consistently exhibited the attributes of a true servant leader.”

This prestigious award is presented in recognition of employees who work across different departments, units, and divisions to accomplish an initiative or project. These individuals maintain an open line of communication with other departments to fulfill the agency’s mission. Criteria also includes going above and beyond the call of duty; making a notable impact on the agency as a whole; demonstrating leadership qualities; and focusing on the needs of the agency.

Upton began his career with the GDC in 1991 at Hays State Prison as a Correctional Officer. While there, he was promoted to Sergeant, Lieutenant, and ultimately, Unit Manager. In 2000, he accepted a position as Superintendent of Paulding Probation Detention Center and later served as Warden at Calhoun State Prison, Hays State Prison, Georgia State Prison, and Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison. Prior to his position at Director of Facilities Operations, he served as Field Operations Manager for the Southwest Region and later, Deputy Director of Facilities Operations. He retired from the GDC at the end of May, 2018.

About the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC)

The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 52,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees. For more information on the GDC, call 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.