Fellow Bears,
It was great to see so many of you at our Staff Recognition Luncheon yesterday. This was the 50th annual staff recognition banquet at UNC and it felt extra special this year because it was the first time we have been able to hold the event since March 2020. We celebrated 94 employees who reached service milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years at UNC – an incredible feat that is worthy of special recognition. We also honored one individual, Craig McWhirter, who recently retired after 45 years of service at UNC.
For those who were unable to attend, I wanted to publicly congratulate our PASC and CSC Employee of the Year award winners, Jennifer Knock and Margaret McKeown-Kelley. Jennifer is the Business Operations Manager in the College of Performing Arts and Margaret is the Human Resources and Student and Faculty Support Specialist for the Division of Academic Engagement. Both received many nominations from their colleagues for their respective awards.
Some of the praise that was shared about Jennifer from her nominators includes:
“She has been knocking it out of the park every single day.”
“A true gem – steadfast, honest, and always goes the extra mile to ensure that everyone has what they need.”
“Her work touches every level of the Rowing, Not Drifting 2030 strategic plan. She creates an environment of caring and positive rapport with a multitude of diverse students, faculty, and staff. Always a step ahead of what we need before we know that we need it.”
Margaret received high praise from her nominators as well, including remarks such as:
“She exemplifies what it means to be a team player across campus.”
“Margaret supports a lot of different areas and is always efficient and timely. She is kind, reliable, and does fantastic work.”
“If you ask Margaret for help, you know she will first say yes and then will go above and beyond to make sure the work is done correctly, on time and in a way that makes it easier for everyone else.”
Please join me in congratulating Jennifer and Margaret for their well-deserved recognition of being named the PASC and CSC Employees of the Year. I would also like to take a moment to recognize the individuals who were nominated for each award. Nominees for the PASC Employee of the Year Award were Jennifer Ayers, Ali Barnhart, Hayley Blackburn, Rachel Borum, Jed Cummins, Jennifer Knock, Deborah Lewis, Penelope Mascarenas, Sherie Mondt, and Andrea Straw. Nominees for the CSC Employee of the Year award were Susan Allen, Laura Hulsey, Josh Kolb, Margaret McKeown-Kelley, Lee Nelson, Lucinda Ogden, Brooks Pardew, Janice Riegel, Heidi Romero, Doug Secord, Carol Steward, Sarah Vaughn, and Derek Watson.
Congratulations to everyone who was nominated for an award and to everyone who was recognized with a service milestone. I am very grateful to be surrounded by so many talented and caring faculty and staff and sincerely thank each of you for your hard work.
Rowing, Not Drifting,
Andy Feinstein
President
