Thursday, December 10, 2015

Janelle Gurnsey is December Employee of the Month


Janelle Gurnsey tends to work behind the scenes in her role as Outreach and Communications Coordinator at Brookens library, but those fortunate enough to work with her can attest to her charm, work ethic, and talent. Her supervisor describes her as having an "infectious vitality." Janelle has been selected as the University of Illinois Springfield December Employee of the Month.

Janelle's dedication to her work is well illustrated by a story her nominator shared. On the evening before an event, it was discovered that one of the event documents was missing a page. "Janelle worked over night to print the page and correct a couple hundred booklets one at a time, completely on her own," the nominator writes. "Acts like this are not the exception for Janelle, they are the norm."

This year, Janelle was part of the team handling the annual One Book, One UIS author event, and many of the details of this year's program were left to her. She worked diligently to overcome any obstacles that popped up while planning the event, she ensured publicity was created, and she designed all the materials to brand the event.

Her supervisor says Janelle does whatever it takes to get the job done. "She is a unit of one, occasionally having a student assistant," her supervisor writes. "I am amazed at the amount of quality of work that she produces throughout the year!"

"She takes pride in her work and believes in doing her part to create a supportive work environment," writes her nominator. "In many ways she is the heart and soul of the library."

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Zach Logsdon is November Employee of the Month

Computer problems can be daunting. You feel you should be able to fix the problem on your own, yet you cannot. When you turn for help, it's nice to have someone who not only provides quality assistance, but does so in a way that keeps you from feeling incompetent. Zach Logsdon is someone who provides that type of assistance, and one reason he has been selected as the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month.

Zach, who works as an IT Support Associate, has unending patience when working with faculty, students, and staff. His nominator says he not only makes himself available whenever he's needed, "he has a way about him that does not make me feel like an idiot with the problem at hand."

He works in the evening at UIS, meaning he is the one called if any IT problems occur during the many evening events that take place on campus, like the ECCE Speaker series. When problems arise, regardless of circumstance, he resolves any issues while remaining calm and also helps put everyone else at ease.
With Zach at work in the evening, his supervisor writes that she can leave at the end of her day, knowing ITS is in good hands, and that he will inform her of anything that needs addressing the next day.

His nominator sums it up succinctly: UIS and the ITS office is lucky to have Zach!

Monday, October 19, 2015

Jeff Sudduth is October Employee of the Month

When you turn to Jeff Sudduth for computer help, you know you're going to have an enjoyable interaction with someone who is easy to work with and quick at solving problems. He assists with any problems that come his way--big or small--and always goes above and beyond to help. For these reasons and more, Jeff has been selected as the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for October

Jeff is a Tech Associate in Information Technology Services. He's always researching new technologies that can benefit the university, and he is someone faculty, students, and staff often turn to for help. His supervisor says Jeff has a talent for untangling technical jargon and explaining solutions in terms that everyone can understand.

He is an employee that can do his job without much oversight. "Once assigned a task, there is no need for me to follow up because I know that Jeff will handle it," his supervisor writes. "And he will let me know if he runs into any issues."

His interest in helping others extends to his community, too, where he serves on the Emergency 911 board for his county, and recently completed training to drive the ambulance for EMTs.

"Jeff is so very deserving of this honor," his supervisor writes. "UIS is a better place because of Jeff."

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Josie Negro is September Employee of the Month

Josie Negro is described as the "consummate student advocate. She is generous with her time while assisting students with a variety of financial aid questions, and is always willing to lend a hand to colleagues. For these reasons and more, she has been selected as the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for September.

Josie's nominator says when she calls Josie for assistance, she can hear Josie's smile through the phone. "I know that anytime I refer a graduate student to her for financial aid information that they will have their questions answered," writes her nominator.

Her supervisor says Josie doesn't know the meaning of the word "no." She offers to help in any situation, and takes on additional duties to ensure students and staff receive excellent customer service. She is "always flexible and adapts easily to ever changing environments."

Monday, August 17, 2015

Geoff Evans is August Employee of the Month

Geoff Evans is a man behind the scenes, making sure that UIS Food Services is running smoothly and that his team is responding to customer needs and comments. For these reasons and more, he's been selected as the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for August.

Geoff will solicit recipes from students that remind them of home and serve those dishes in Food Emporium. He helped to bring the Shop 24 outdoor convenience store to campus. According to his nominator, "he's always looking for ways to improve the student experience within and outside of dining services."

In addition to keeping in mind what may make the students happier, he's also a strong leader, maintaining a positive attitude with his colleagues, and open to collaboration. He is not an attention seeker, preferring to give credit to his employees.

"Geoff's efforts have improved the campus dining experience and improved the staff work environment," writes his nominator. "And he continues to explore ways to raise levels of service and quality."

Friday, July 31, 2015

Kristin Kruger is July Employee of the Month

When parents bring their children to the Cox Children's Center, they can rest assured their kids will be surrounded by caring employees such as Kristin Kruger, who is the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for July.

Kristin is passionate about the field of early care and education, and she lives this passion at UIS. She volunteers at local early childhood workshops to share her experience and creativity; she trains and mentors student employees who work at the childcare center; and she maintains lasting relationships with families. "She has a strong work ethic and manages to exemplify quality in all that she does and regardless of the time and/or commitment that it takes," writes her nominator.

In 2014, Kristin was awarded the Terri Lynne Lokoff/Tylenol National Child Care Teacher Award, which acknowledges the critical role of child care teachers in providing quality early care and education. She serves on the Sangamon Success committee as an early childhood expert, and she's presented at local conferences for the Association for the Education of Young Children. On top of all this, she approaches every day with a positive attitude.

"She responds to any challenge with an 'we can do it' approach and challenges others to be with her," her nominator writes. 

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Sadie Furman is June EOM

According to Sadie Furman's nominator, Sadie, who works as an administrative clerk in Information Technology Services, will drop everything if someone calls her for help. Not only that, but she'll come to your office with a smile and a pleasant attitude, brightening your day a bit while lending a helping hand. For these reasons and more, Sadie has been selected as the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for June.

In addition to having a great attitude, she is unfailingly dependable and consistently positive, respectable, honest, and caring. "Sadie has established great working relationships with the ITS staff and student assistants, the university community, and with the major vendors we work with to the clear benefit of the department and the campus," her supervisor writes. "She is a great pleasure to work with. She has brought a great deal of positivity to the department, works well with everyone, and is very proactive.

Her nominator sums it up like this: "Thank you, Sadie!! You are an asset to UIS IT!!"

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Rance Carpenter is May EOM

One must be doing something exceptional to be described as "awesome" by his co-workers, and that's precisely the word used by a colleague to describe Rance Carpenter, the director of the Graduate Public Service Internship program, and the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for May.

Rance's nominator describes him as easy going yet very professional; someone who has formed good relationships with state agency supervisors that will keep the GPSI program thriving. His supervisor describes him as one of the good guys. Someone who treats everyone he works with--from interns to faculty--with respect and consideration.

"He is always building rapport," his supervisor writes, "and his behavior has directly contributed to a widespread, favorable view of GPSI," and to the high regard his staff has of him.

Rance's nominator believes he's an excellent example of Leadership lived at UIS, and though he sometimes believes he has to play Good Cop/Bad Cop with the university's interns, his nominator doesn't it see it that way.

"He says he has to be Good Cop/Bad Cop sometimes with the GPSI interns, but we never really see him be bad cop because he sits down with the interns and has a one-on-on conversation, and in the end everyone is happy," writes his nominator.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Eric Chrans is April EOM

When you visit the UIS Food Emporium, you'll often see Eric Chrans moving from area to area, helping his co-workers, chatting with diners, and helping out students with questions. He exudes friendliness and is always ready to lend a helping hand. For these reasons and more, Eric is the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for April.

Eric's supervisor calls his dedication to the job remarkable. "Eric will always work whatever hours are necessary to see that our students and customers are provided the best possible service and experience," his supervisor writes.

His nominator also praises Eric's demeanor, and his willingness to go beyond his job duties to help his colleagues. "Eric's primary concern is a pleasant customer service experience for all students, guests, faculty, and staff that visit Food Service areas at UIS. He remains calm when a large number of unexpected patrons come to the Food Emporium and works with his staff to make sure all their needs are met," his nominator writes.

"Even though he is a supervisor, he is not afraid to get in the trenches and do what needs to be done to make Food Service operate smoothly."


Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Cecilia Cornell is March EOM

The university is fortunate to have Cecilia Cornell, associate vice chancellor for Graduate Education, as part of its team.

According to her nominator, Cecilia not only does the work required in her own position, but she has a "wider vision of the processes of the university and does her work to match that understanding." The nominator goes on to say that the respect and civility Cecilia uses in all her interactions helps to strengthen the campus culture. It is for these reasons and more that Cecilia has been selected as the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for March.

Her supervisor remarks that Cecilia "appreciates the value of diversity, works very well with diverse others, and is conscientious in participating in processes that support and encourage diversity and equal opportunity." She is an excellent listener and manages delicate and challenging situations with tact, patience, and good humor.

"The university is defined by its faculty, staff and students," her nominator writes. "Cecilia helps to define the university as professional, respectful, and engaging through the work that she does."

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Eric Needham is February EOM

If there is a person at UIS who probably knows nearly everyone on campus, it has to be Mailing Equipment Operator Eric Needham. Sun, rain, or snow, Eric always makes sure departments receive their mail in a timely fashion, while also brightening the days of the people he meets. It is for these reasons he has been selected as the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for February 2015.

One of the qualities about Eric most mentioned by his colleagues is that he goes out of his way to make their jobs easier. His supervisor writes, "If there is something that needs to be done, Eric will do it, or volunteer to do it, even though it may be outside the scope of his duties. He wants to make sure I'm taking my days off before he takes any vacation."

His nominator says Eric takes time to greet everyone on his delivery route, and is always friendly and helpful. "He doesn't hesitate to go out of his way if you need something to be picked up later in the day and will offer to help you in anyway possible," the nominator writes.

"Eric is one of the nicest employees on campus and can always be relied upon."

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Danny Lau named the 2014 UIS Employee of the Year



Food Service Worker Danny Lau has been named the 2014 Employee of the Year at the University of Illinois Springfield. He was honored during an annual reception on January 28, 2015 in the Sangamon Auditorium Lobby.

Lau is known for his smile, friendly hello and his fried rice. His “overall enthusiasm, friendliness, spirit of helping and cooperation go hand in hand with his cooking ability and attention to detail,” said one of his nominators.

He has been known to support international students by literally handing them money out of his own pocket. He often dispenses words of wisdom that lift student’s spirits. According to his nominators, he is always willing to come in and help, even on his day off.

“Danny is an example of what we should be looking for in all our employees,” said a nominator. “His technical skills, combined with such a positive and helpful attitude, make him a tremendous asset for the department and the University.”

In presenting the award, UIS Chancellor Susan J. Koch thanked Lau and other UIS employees for their dedication and strong work ethics.

“I’m personally very, very grateful to each of you as Chancellor for all that you do,” said Koch. “Not only for what you contribute in your area, but for the way you mentor others and the wonderful example you provide for all of us.”

Lau accepted the award by thanking his colleagues.

“Thank you to everyone who chose me for the Employee of the Year. I’m very happy,” he said.

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