Thursday, December 16, 2010

Greg Mayes is December EOM



Greg Mayes
thought he was on his way to fix a broken i-card reader when his family and co-workers surprised him with the news he'd been named December 2010 Employee of the Month.

“I should have known better. PAC Restaurant is where they lure all of them,” said Mayes. “I always swore I’d be ready for this. You got me.”

Mayes is an ID Center Systems Support Specialist in the i-card center at UIS. He’s worked on campus for the past 3 years and previously held other positions in the University of Illinois system.

“He’s an amazing person. Always smiling, always helping everyone no matter what the situation is he’d tell you I can do it right now,” said Moneim Osman, i-card office manager.

As Employee of the Month, Mayes will receive a special parking spot for the month along with some extra spending cash on his i-card.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Kathy Henry is November EOM



Food Service Worker Kathy Henry is known for always having a smile on her face. She lit up the entire room when she was named Employee of the Month during a surprise ceremony on November 23, 2010 in the PAC Restaurant.

“I don’t know what to say. Thank you guys,” said Henry.

Co-workers brought Henry into the room through the kitchen door, because they knew she’d suspect something was going on. It turns out she had no idea what was about to happen.

“I wondered where everyone was at,” she said.

Food Service Administrator Geoffrey Evans presented Henry with the award praising her dedication and work ethic.

“The department has a lot of hard working employees, but Kathy is among the greatest and the hardest working. You always have a smile on your face. You’re always working hard and this is our way of saying thank you,” he said.

As Employee of the Month, Henry was presented with a special parking spot for the month along with some extra spending cash on her i-card.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Lori Giordano is October EOM



Interim Director of Admissions Lori Giordano was completely caught off guard when her friends and co-workers surprised her with the news.

Giordano was recognized as October 2010 Employee of the Month during a ceremony on October 15, 2010 in University Hall.

“This is very much a surprise and of course I couldn’t do it without everyone here. They know I love them all,” said Giordano.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tim Barnett praised Giordano on a job well done and presented her with the award.

“It’s long overdue. You’re highly respected and well regarded by staff and faculty around campus. You’ve really been the face of admissions for several years,” he said.

Giordano started working for UIS in February of 1998 as an Admissions Counselor. She worked her way up to Assistant Director, then Associate Director and now Interim Director.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Gale Kilbury is September EOM



Career Counselor Gale Kilbury thought she was on her way to a meeting when co-workers, friends and family ambushed her with the news she’d been named Employee of the Month for September 2010.

Kilbury had pen and paper in hand, ready for her meeting, when she walked into Conference Room G in the Public Affairs Center. A celebration was held in her honor featuring cake and other sweet treats.

“It’s a great job. I love it,” said Kilbury.

Kilbury started as an intern in the Career Development Center and worked her way up to a full-time employee.

“Working in the Career Development Center you get the opportunity to be there for all students and all alums. We’re not focused on any one group or any one person and I think that’s the beauty of what we do,” said Kilbury.

Tammy Craig, director of Career Services introduced Kilbury and presented her with the award.

“She has given to the university, she’s very student centered, everything is all about students,” said Craig.

As Employee of the Month, Kilbury was presented with a special parking spot for the month along with some extra spending cash on her i-card.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Dean Pinky Wassenberg is August EOM



Pinky Wassenberg, dean of the College of Public Affairs and Administration thought she was on her way to an important meeting. A fellow dean even created a fake proposal for her to review beforehand, but it was all a big trick.

“This has really led me to question my perceptive ability. I always thought I had a really good network and there wasn’t too much going on that I had no clue about. I’m just about as clueless today as I ever have been,” Wassenberg told the crowd.

Harry Berman, UIS provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs lead Wassenberg to the fake meeting in the PAC Restaurant where she was surprised by dozens of her friends and colleagues.

“Pinky is a model administrator and I think this has a lot to do with her being nominated for the position,” said Berman. “She runs her office competently developing creative and innovative approaches to standard administrative tasks.”

Wassenberg came to UIS in 1987 after teaching at Central Michigan University and while at UIS she was appointed to the Political Science Department and the Center for Legal Studies. In September 2005 she was appointed Interim Dean of the College of Public Affairs and Administration and became dean in April of 2006.

“Pinky is absolutely straight up. She tells you what she thinks and she doesn’t suffer fools readily,” said Berman.

Wassenberg thanked the crowd for their support and for the honor of being named Employee of the Month for August 2010.

“Thank you all. This is very kind,” she said.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Amanda Bly is July EOM



Admissions Counselor Amanda Bly thought she was on her way to a meeting, when co-workers led her into the PAC Restaurant. In fact, she was about to be named July 2010 Employee of the Month.

“You guys tricked me,” said Bly after the surprise was announced.

Family, friends and co-workers greeted her during the award celebration on July 20, 2010.

Bly has been a dedicated member of the UIS admissions staff since January of 2006. She travels around central Illinois visiting local high schools and answering questions from future UIS students.

“We wanted to say thank you for all of your hard work,” said Kathryn Kleeman, assistant director of admissions.

Bly thanked those who showed up to support her and talked about the teamwork she enjoys at UIS.

“I love you guys all so much. You make working at UIS so fun and even though sometimes we have hard, long days having you guys around to commiserate makes all the while,” said Bly.

Bly was presented with a special parking spot for the month and will get some extra spending cash placed on her i-card.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Ron Turner is June EOM



Ron Turner
thought he was on his way to change out a podium in the PAC Restaurant, but little did he know he was about to be named June 2010 Employee of the Month.

Turner was a little camera shy when he walked in the celebration on June 25, 2010, but soon warmed up to the crowd.

Ron is a Building Service Sub-Foreman in Conference Services and has worked for UIS since April 19, 2005. He’s responsible for helping to pull off nearly every event in the PAC, so keeping his party a surprise was a big task.

“The fact that we could pull this off without you knowing about it is a major accomplishment, because Ron is so on top of everything,” said Carolyn Neitzke, director of Conference Services.

In the letter nominating Ron for the award, he’s hailed as being “very organized”, “always on time”, and “very hard working”. The letter goes on to say, “Ron takes great pride in his work. He helps out where ever he’s needed and always has a great attitude about his work.”

Turner is known for having a great rapport with staff and students in setting up for events.

“There are always last minute changes and he takes everything in stride and accomplishes everything needed for each even to be a success,” said his nominator.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Beth Hoag is May EOM



Beth Hoag
, assistant director of Student Life suspected something was up, but had no idea she was about to be named Employee of the Month for May 2010.

“I couldn’t figure out why Karen Moranski kept asking me questions and making me walk with her, but I was like I’ll just go along with it,” said Hoag.

It all started to make sense when Hoag walked into her surprise party on May 27 in the Public Affairs Center Restaurant.

Hoag has been a valued employee at UIS for the past four years. During that time she created the Student Organization Center, which has lead to growth in the number of student groups on campus.

“Everything I do here at UIS is really for the students and I couldn’t do it without them and my colleagues, so it’s really an award for all of us,” said Hoag.

Director of Student Life Cynthia Thompson says under Hoag’s leadership important policies have been updated and the number of activities on campus has increased.

“Anyone who has been involved at all on campus or with Student Life, I’m sure has had the impact of Beth’s work,” said Thompson.

Hoag ended her award presentation by announcing, “let’s eat some cake”. It was decorated with a variety of accouterments.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Natalie Taylor is April EOM


Natalie Taylor
had to be pushed into the room by coworkers after she realized she’d been named Employee of the Month for April 2010.

“You can just stand here so I don’t fall over,” she joked as her supervisor Dean Larry Stonecipher presented the award. “Can you feel me shaking?” she asked.

Her accomplishments were celebrated with friends and family during an April 6, 2010 party in the Public Affairs Center (PAC) Conference Room G.

Taylor is a Dean’s Assistant in the College of Education and Human Services and handles the college’s finances. She’s worked at UIS for 8 years in multiple roles. She was nominated by her peers for her ability to go out of her way to help everyone in EHS.

Taylor is involved within her community and also within the UIS community, having served on several committees and projects.

“I was on a search committee this summer and the person asked me what I like about UIS,” said Taylor. “I said absolutely the people, without a doubt, so I feel very honored to receive this.”

Taylor will receive a special parking space, a gift card and will be eligible to become UIS’ Employee of the Year.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Suzanne Woods is March EOM



Visiting Director of Disability Services Suzanne Woods, thought she was on a way to a meeting with her boss when she got a big surprise. Woods was named March 2010 employee of the month during a ceremony in the PAC Restaurant.

Judy Shipp, Director of the Counseling Center helped pull off the trick. Woods says she had no idea she was about to be honored.

“I fell right into it, went right along with her. She came to my office and we had a pre-meeting. She’s very good at this,” said Woods.

Woods was recognized for her commitment to students with disabilities, helping provide them with services that insure their success at UIS.

“I’m really flabbergasted. There are so many wonderful employees on this campus and I’m really privileged to work with many of them every day,” she said.

Woods has committed herself to helping people with disabilities. She’s worked for the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois, the Illinois Assistive Technology Program, and the Arc of Illinois. She also serves as the chair of ISAC (Illinois State Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities).

Monday, February 15, 2010

Kara McElwrath is February EOM



Information Technology Services Training Specialist Kara McElwrath was taken by surprise when she was named UIS Employee of the Month for February 2010.

“I was talking to Tulio about my son eating lady bugs in the hallway, so I was totally not prepared for this,” joked McElwrath.

McElwrath joined the UIS family in August of 2007 and quickly became an integral member of the ITS staff and a true asset to the University. Kara and the ITS Instructional Technology Support and Training team are responsible for training UIS faculty, staff, and students in multimedia and productivity software packages including Microsoft Office and Mac applications.

She also teaches future teachers best practices for implementing technology in the K-12 classroom as an instructor of TEP 305, Technology for Teaching.

“Kara's dedication to the University is evident in the volume of projects she takes on and in the exceptionally high quality of her work,” said Tulio Llosa, ITS Director of Educational Technology. “Kara is known for her thoroughness, her stellar communication skills, and her boundless energy.”

McElwrath has also been heavily involved in the implementation of and support for eDocs, the myUIS web portal, Atomic Learning, Task Stream, and more.

“I’m truly honored and feel very, very fortunate to work here with such a great group of faculty, staff and students,” she said.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Bob Lael named UIS Employee of the Year for 2009



Human Resource Assistant Manager Bob Lael was named UIS Employee of the Year for 2009 during the 27th annual celebration in the Sangamon Auditorium lobby on January 28, 2010.

Lael is known for always being the first person to arrive at the office in the morning. He provides endless support to the human resources office, to the University as a whole, and to the numerous students who come to him for help with student insurance.

“I’m humbled and I’m honored, especially in light of the other 11 candidates for Employee of the Year and I’m very, very, very thankful,” said Lael.

The other candidates were each selected as individual Employees of the Month. They include Emily Welch Boles, Tom Micklus, Patricia Stoutamyer, Kimberly Craig, Pam Rodgers, Michelle Green, Laurie Koehne, Terry Minder, Bobbie Fults, and Patty Sullivan.

Lael is not only a leader at UIS, but also serves on a leadership team for the U of I Office of Business and Financial Services. In addition to doing his job well, he is, as his supervisor noted, “a friend to all of us.”

“It’s difficult in these times and in many places to reward people the way you’d like to,” said Jamie Voyles, Employee of the Month committee chair.

The Employee of the Year gets a check for $500, plus a special parking spot for the entire year.