Congratulations to Kimberly Eby, Office of the Provost; Greg Farley, University Sustainability; and Janna Mattson, University Libraries for being selected as the 2021 Outstanding Supervisors.
In past years, the Staff Senate has honored two winners in the Outstanding Supervisor category. Due to the difficult year combined with many exceptional candidates, the senate expanded the award to include a third winner this year. Kimberly, Greg, and Janna were selected from a pool of more than 30 nominations of diverse candidates from varying departments and campuses. A seven-person committee of Staff Senators evaluated the nomination forms submitted by classified staff and non-student wage employees.
These three candidates stood out among their peers and were recognized for their outstanding contributions to their departments and in the following areas:
- Acknowledging exemplary performance
- Supporting innovation and soliciting input from employees
- Being fair and flexible
- Encouraging and providing opportunities for professional growth
- Promoting an environment of diversity and inclusion, well-being, civility and respect, and/or restraint
Members of the Staff Senate surprised each of the winners by Zoom/Teams-bombing a regularly scheduled department meeting to share the good news with the winners.
According to Kimberly’s nominators:
Kimberly has shown incredible leadership and great care for those she works with all across the university, and especially to those she supervises. She has been an exemplary example of what it means to have a well-rounded work-life balance, and has ensured that her staff also have this privilege. She has also provided a “seat at the table” for her staff, which we all know is a great mark of a great leader. Regardless of what the role is, Kimberly makes it a point to show appreciation to any and all staff and colleagues where it is deserved, and diversity and inclusion is evident in every aspect of her work. It’s not enough to just put a diverse team together – everyone must feel able to both contribute to and gain from the experience of collaboration. Kim has worked with countless faculty and staff in her 25+ years at Mason, and she is a shining example of someone who uplifts individuals and the institution as a whole. She is a great mentor and supporter to those around her, and the way she encourages meaningful collaboration across campus is unparalleled.
According to Greg’s nominators:
A true leader understands the strengths of the pieces within the whole. Greg clearly has this as a foundational piece for how he leads his department. Greg’s involvement of non-student wage and student interns reflects your awareness that all perspectives are important at the table. Throughout the last year, Greg has demonstrated that he truly cares about the well-being of his staff, understanding the potential effects it has caused and has worked to ease their concerns and anxiety. Greg’s willingness to not shy away from tough conversations and be part of the solution has provided his staff with a safe place to explore their own thoughts and how the department as a whole can be better. Greg is the perfect blend of supervisor, cheerleader and mentor, as well as a champion for a collaborative and engaging work environment.
According to Janna’s nominators:
Janna works tirelessly to make sure that the staff she supervises continue to grow and develop professionally by connecting her employees to opportunities across the university and helping them reach their professional goals. Janna always makes me feel like I should never stop shooting for better and pursuing my interests. I have had so many instances with her in which I casually mention something that I think is neat and I would like to know more about, and next thing I know she’s found a way that I can learn more about this and connect it to my job. Janna cultivates an environment of open communication and pushes her employees while letting them know that their performances are valued. For projects or things I create for the team, she usually provides critical feedback in a positive manner
showing that she took the time to look closely at my work. Janna promotes an environment of diversity and inclusion by making accessibility and universal design key priorities to reach all learning styles. She encourages her employees to meet with her and think of time they could take off to not be burned out. Beyond the numerous awards she has nominated her staff for, she recognizes and highlights their performance publicly and in multiple settings. She is proud of her employees, and she wants their work to be valued and known.
Kimberly, Greg, and Janna were recognized at the Outstanding Achievement Awards, which were live-streamed on GMU-TV on Tuesday, April 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. View the complete list of award winners.
Congratulations to those Outstanding Supervisor Nominees who were nominated but not selected this year! It is a high honor to be nominated for this award. The Staff Senate is very encouraged by the number of supervisors who promote collegiality in their departments, reward and acknowledge exemplary behavior, and promote well-being in the workplace. Supervisors like these make Mason such a great place to work!
Outstanding Supervisor Nominees included:
Dr. Milton Brown, Department of Biochemistry
Beth Cantrell, GMU Foundation, Inc
Amanda Caswell, College of Education and Human Development
Elena Chiru, University Career Services
Sharon Cullen, Office of the President
Tommy Dang, Information Technology Services
Tom Deike, Information Technology Services
Emilie Dubert, Contemporary Student Services
Barbara Gomperts, English
Daniel Hobson, College of Visual and Performing Arts
Lauren Hutt, Housing and Residence Life
Alex Iszard, Facilities
Zachary Kessler, Police and Public Safety
Dr. James Kinter, Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies
Jamie Klepek, Safety, Emergency and Enterprise Risk Management
Cathy Kotila, School of Business
Dorothy Kroll, Student Financial Aid
Naomi Martinez-Jones, Disability Services
Andrea Nikoi, School of Systems Biology
Pamela Novick, Continuing and Professional Education
Rob Pegues, Admissions
Melanie Pflugshaupt, School of Business
Kristin Tyburczy, Criminology, Law and Society Steve Vollmer, Facilities Management
Ronnie Williams, Facilities Management
Kerry Willigan, School of Business
Susan Woods, History and Art History