Georgia Southern Salutes Dedicated Employees with Awards of Excellence

January 10, 2013

STATESBORO, Ga. – Jan. 10, 2013 – Georgia Southern University honored 171 staff members, celebrating their 1,755 years of continuous, full-time service during the annual Staff Awards of Excellence Ceremony on Jan. 9 at the Performing Arts Center.

“I am so proud to be a part of a University where the staff doesn’t come to work just because of the paycheck, but because they genuinely love what they do and the ones they serve,” said Georgia Southern President Brooks Keel, Ph.D.

Thirty four University employees were nominated to the Staff Council to receive the Award of Merit for improving the working environment, exhibiting excellent customer service and showing true character and dedication to the mission of Georgia Southern. The eight workers honored with the Award of Merit, a medallion and $1,000 included:

•Gale Bernard – Physical Plant – Paint Shop

•Michael Bocian – Housing Department – Residential Facilities

•Ian Christie – Athletics

•Nikki Collins – Department of Mathematical Sciences

•Mary Egger – College of Education

•Catherine Holmes – Physical Plant – Custodial Services

•Cynthia Lonon – Office of Financial Aid

•Eileen Smith – Department of Sociology and Anthropology

The Awards of Merit are sponsored by Georgia Southern’s Staff Council. In addition, Fidelity Investments, Inc. and TIAA-CREF each sponsored one Award of Merit this year.

More than 100 other University workers accepted a Years of Service award which included a certificate of appreciation and a gift from The University Store. Michelle Smith, who works as an administrative secretary in Information Technology was recognized for 30 years of service. The following lists additional Georgia Southern employees honored:

25 years of service:

Josephine Anderson, Shirley Colbert, Annette Denson, Linda Hendrix, Amanda Howell, Karen Iler, Pamela Lee, Robert Miller, Deborah Porter, Vicki Swan, David Thompson and Zandra Young.

20 Years of Service:

Carolyn Boles, Robert Brannen, Nathan Brinkman, Clinton Brown, Randy Calloway, Joanne Dannacher, Robert Deal, Todd Deal, Teresa Dean, Shirley DeLoach, Jennifer Gerrald, Lynn Harris, Vicki Hodges, Mamie Holloway, Tammy Howard, Shirley Inman, Peggy Lee, Virginia Malphrus and Ronnie Phillips.

15 Years of Service:

Kaye Brannen, Brenda Carr, Julie Churney, Jonathan Courdin, Jamie Ellis, John Franklin, Sallie Hartsell, Stephen Hooley, Tabitha Irvin, Veronica Jones, Janice Knoblich, Shawn McElveen, Teresa Mock, Matthew Nichols, Margaret Pigatt-Lanier, Nancy Royals, Kathy Rushing, William Smith III, Pennye Tremble and Barbara Weiss.

10 Years of Service:

James Blount, Rosalind Calles, Rhonda Castro, Sonya Conner, Ronald Connor, Gwendolyn Coston, Kimberly Craig, Peter Davis, Lee Davis Jr., John Davis, Jimmy Devine, Sarah Fain, Elizabeth Freeman, Rita Grant, Douglas Gray, Patricia Hendrix, Nancy Hester, Rebecca Holloway, Haroun Homayun, Patience Jenkins, Billy Lane, Angela Lang, Floyd Leach, Kimberly Mincey, John Oglesby, Delores Parker, Darlene Rawls, Joseph Reeves, Donna Sasser, Ellen Seel, Vickie Shaw, Janice Skinner, Irene Stewart and Dorinda Williams.

5 Years of Service:

Tracy Atkinson, Holly Berry, Roxanne Billings, Jeffrey Blythe, Anthony Bretti, Angela Brewton, Patrice Buckner, Steve Burrell, Erin Campbell, Beverly Carroll, Earl Edwin Cashon III, Richard Chambers, Erica Colbert, Maura Copeland, Sue Crabtree, Sharonica Daniels, Toni Davis, Melissia Deal, Kay Deloach, Lawrence Doulos, Christian Flathman, Mary Gainer, Gary Gawel, David Gentile, Alex Grovenstein, Sharon Hendrix, Felisha Jackson, Carroll Jenkins, La\’Shanda Johnson, Kershawnda Johnson, Joette Jones, Alejandra Kennedy, Sandra Kershaw, Brandon Kimmons, Gary Kirkland, LaSara Lawrence, Ronnie Littles, Dianne Littles, Cynthia Lonon, Doris Mack, Sidney Marlin, Tyrone McBride, Bonnie McMakin, Anna Miller, Erica Minc, Heidi Moye, Ronald Murphy, Michael Murphy Jr., Melissa Nease, Samantha Nesmith, Keri Olmstead, Amanda Pellegrino, Tameika Porter, Jahmal Rainey, Christy Rikard, Willie Roberts, Elizabeth Sammons, Reginald Scott, Laura Scott, Thomas Segi, Juanita Sherrod, Melanie Shipmon, Lee Shivers III, Maria Sibbald, Daisy Singletary, Rebecca Smith, Eugene Smith, Amy Smith, Sriravong Sriratanakoul, Carrie Thorne, Julia Tipton, Grant Turner, Carroll Waldhour, Cora Washington, Lindsay Webb, Coco Whitehead, Nancy Whitfield, Lori Wiggins, Jessica Williams, Tonsheia Williams, Daisy Williams, John Womble, Naronda Wright and Sheena Young.

Georgia Southern employs more than 1,800 staff members, and Staff Council is a collective voice for non-faculty workers. The Council supports a variety of activities and initiatives to improve the quality of life and effectiveness of the University\’s dedicated and valuable staff and hosts the annual Staff Awards of Excellence Ceremony.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers more than 120 degree programs serving more than 20,500 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. The University is one of the Top 10 most popular universities in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report, and is a top choice of Georgia’s HOPE scholars. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu.