Retirees ceremony honors 54 retiring faculty and staff
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Retirees (l to r) Susan Nelson, Ken Southwell and Janet O'Brien served at Georgia Southern for 30 or more years.[/caption]
When Susan Nelson, 25Live functional administrator in Information Technology Services, arrived at Georgia Southern College in 1980, there were only 6,700 students in attendance, and the campus was just a fraction of the size it is now.
“When I began in 1980, if you had to go to the Newton Building for class you thought were going 'the end of world,’” she said. “There was nothing past the Newton building.”
Since that time, Georgia Southern — now a University with nearly 20,500 students — has grown exponentially, but what remains constant for Nelson is the family she’s gained in her 36 years of service.
“Georgia Southern is family,” she said. “I have enjoyed working with students, faculty and staff. I love it when students contact me after they have graduated to thank me for helping them when they were a student. I have met some wonderful people over the past 36 years.”
Nelson was one of 54 faculty and staff members honored at the annual Retirees Recognition Ceremony, held on Wednesday, April 20, at 10:30 a.m. at the Builders of the University Terrace. She was one of only three retirees with 30 or more years of service, joining Janet O’Brien, director of the Academic Success Center, with 33 years service; and Ken Southwell, technical support specialist in the Center for Academic Technology Support, with 30 years service.
“This is the only place I have ever worked and I've loved every minute of it,” said O’Brien. “I started working at Marvin Pittman Lab School here as a graduate assistant and never left. I was so fortunate to have a job that I enjoyed going to each morning.”
The Retirees Recognition Ceremony honors those who have either retired since the last ceremony or announced their retirement this year. University administration, including Interim President Jean E. Bartels, Ph.D., R.N., were on hand to celebrate the service of these faculty and staff.
“You represent some of the most outstanding work that’s being done to make Georgia Southern what it is,” said Bartels. “So on behalf of the Georgia Southern family, Eagle Nation, I want to thank each and every one of you for the contributions you’ve made to making this an outstanding University.”
“Not enough can be said about that, and we don’t say it often enough when you’re here,” she added.
In retirement, Nelson says she looks forward to doing things “when and if” she wants to, which includes visiting family and traveling. O’Brien will also visit family and friends, but will also use her free time to go to “even more” Eagles games this year.
The retirees honored at the 2016 ceremony were:
- Cathy Beene
- Vickie Ann Berghoff
- James J. Bergin, Ed.D.
- Jean D. Black
- Loretta A. Brandon
- Roy Brannen*
- Sara Jo Britt
- Willie J. Burden, Ed.D.*
- Tommy L. Busby, Sr.
- Deborah Bussell
- Hal Cartee*
- Annette B. Cason
- Charles C. Cox, III
- Julia S. Dempsey
- Grigory Dmitriyev, Ed.D.
- Glynn Dell Edwards
- Robert Fordham
- Anna W. Gleissner
- Robert Grogan
- Ann H. Hamilton
- Mary Frances Hazeldine, Ph.D.
- Linda Fay Hendrix
- Carroll Jenkins
- William T. Johnson
- Connie W. Kearney
- Russell Kent, Ph.D.
- Thomas Benno Klein, Ph.D.*
- Marilyn J. Leon
- Darlene H. Logan
- John Howard Luna
- Connie Griggs Murphey
- Susan E. Nelson
- Janet L. O’Brien
- Sandra J. Peacock, Ph.D.
- Margaret Pigatt-Lanier*
- James L. Pugh, Ph.D.
- Judy Rawls
- Melanie Riddick
- Linda W. Rushing
- Michael J. Russell
- Martha L. Schriver, Ph.D.
- David W. Seaman, Ph.D.
- William T. Sharpe, Jr.
- Pamela D. Smith
- Kenneth R. Southwell
- Vicki Swan
- Carol C. Thompson
- Charles H. Trupe, III, Ph.D.
- Ronald L. Watkins
- Barbara M. Weiss
- Gail M. Williams
- Jerry W. Wilson, D.B.A.*
- LeVon E. Wilson, Ed.D.
- Lisa Schafer Yocco
Posted in Faculty, My News, Reward & Recognition, Staff