The annual Chancellor鈥檚 Employee of the Year Award is presented to 麻豆影院 staff in recognition of and appreciation for exceptional job performance and remarkable contributions to the campus community. Recipients of this distinguished award join a rich heritage of past awardees who display outstanding performance, inspired leadership, extraordinary service to the campus and community, and exceptional interpersonal skills.
CU-麻豆影院 is filled with passionate and dedicated individuals who day in and day out define what it means to be extraordinary. The 2015 recipients embody the very best of this, regardless if anyone is watching. Congratulations to the 2015 award recipients: Claire Figel, Amin Gheysar, Beth Kroger, Polly Pollard and Suzanne Stafford.
The award recipients will be honored at a private reception with Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano and guests. A special celebration will also take place at the CU women鈥檚 basketball game against Oregon on Friday, Jan. 22, 2016.
Claire Figel
Claire Figel is the Program Coordinator for the Baker Residential Academic Program (BRAP). Claire has served as a program coordinator for residential academic programs on the CU-麻豆影院 campus for over 20 years. In that time Clare has touched the lives of thousands of CU students through her dedication, patience, and commitment to always put the student first.
Because of these outstanding attributes, Figel was able to help make this year鈥檚 New Student Welcome a success for the BRAP. She tirelessly emailed students through the summer, called students who didn鈥檛 respond to emails, and ultimately tracked down all 440 of the program鈥檚 students to confirm their BRAP course choice. This hard work and dedication helped ensure a seamless transition when the students arrived to move into the hall.
Figel is regarded as always being highly engaged with students, the campus, and the community. No matter if she is participating in an off-campus student camping trip, or playing the viola with the 麻豆影院 Philharmonic Orchestra, she is described as warm and cheerful by those she interacts with.
Amin Gheysar
Amin Gheysar is the Assistant Director for Housing Facilities Business Operations. Described as an essential member of Housing and Dining Services (HDS), Gheysar is known for his outstanding leadership, pride in the university, and a 鈥渃an do鈥� outlook. He exceeds expectations in order to find ways to accomplish even the most difficult of requests while maintaining a positive attitude.
In alignment with HDS鈥檚 focus on sustainability, Gheysar provides leadership and oversight in the management of utilities and recycling for the department. The renovation of Baker Hall could have led to the addition of 167,500 pounds of old furniture to the landfill. Gheysar鈥檚 dedication and determination resulted in a partnership with a national vendor which was willing to take the old items and repurpose the wood to build new furniture. Solutions such as these translate into lower overall room and board fees for students, and a lower carbon footprint for the university.
He is regarded as proactive, responsive, and thoughtful. The September 2013 flood had a large impact on many residents of the campus and its community. With little staff available, and his own home in question, Gheysar did not hesitate to get behind the wheel of a moving truck and quickly help relocate students. Whether he is serving on the city of 麻豆影院 committee on Diversity and Social Justice, or educating students through the EcoStar Challenge, Gheysar understands and advocates for the best outcomes for students, staff, campus and community.
Beth Kroger
Beth Kroger is the Chief of Operations for JILA, a joint institute of CU-麻豆影院 and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. She is known for ensuring the future of JILA as a great place to do research within the university. She teaches her staff that working at JILA is more than just a job, it鈥檚 an opportunity to learn, be creative and build it into the successful institute that it is.
Kroger is described as being an exemplary leader. Her efforts reach all levels of the organization. She recently arranged a celebration for the custodial staff at JILA. Everyone from JILA came to be a part of the event when these individuals were shown the appreciation the institute has for them. She serves as an administrative advisor to institute leadership, oversees staff, makes sure everyone from graduate students to Nobel Laureates has a desk, and ensures that the institute鈥檚 finances are balanced and accountable to ever-evolving internal and external standards.
Regarded as positive, fun, wise and open-minded, Kroger is known to put 鈥渟ervice above self.鈥� She has volunteered her time on the 麻豆影院 Staff Council, is a Board Member of Rotary International, makes special meals at Attention Homes for teens in the community, volunteers at Greenhouse Scholars, and is on the Board of Trustees at Dakota Wesleyan University.
Polly Pollard
Polly Pollard is the Executive Chef D鈥橝boyeur for Campus Dining Services (CDS). Chef Pollard has been an employee at CU-麻豆影院 for 30 years, but it was almost 10 years ago that her role changed dramatically. The significant increase in food allergies and intolerances led to concerns from parents, and an increase in petitions and appeals for students to be able to live and dine in off-campus facilities. Described as a strong leader, advocate and mentor, Chef Pollard took the lead in identifying tools that staff needed to be empowered in creating and serving food that supports students鈥� changing and expanding needs.
Chef Pollard is most notably recognized for the creation of the A9 identified庐 Food Allergen Program. A9 identified庐 is a nationally recognized and University of Colorado trademarked program that serves to accurately label the top eight food allergens identified by the FDA (eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat) plus gluten. Through her leadership, hundreds of CDS staff and student employees have attended trainings, and allergen safety standard operating procedures have been implemented throughout all dining facilities.
Chef Pollard is regarded for displaying a sincere and genuine concern for the wellbeing of the campus and higher education community. She has presented at the National Association of College & University Food Services regional conference, conducted training on allergen safety at the 麻豆影院 County Health Department, and assisted with the development of allergen safety programs at other universities.
Suzanne Stafford
Suzanne Stafford is the Director of Off-Campus Housing & Neighborhood Relations, the office that supports approximately 23,000 students who live off-campus. She is described as having inspired vision and a passion for developing, improving and enriching programs for students, landlords, and community members.
Stafford鈥檚 dedication to maintaining strong partnerships with our off-campus students and community members knows no boundaries in terms of time and attention. When concerns are received, whether it be a weekend filled with student activity or a devastating flood, she acts quickly and with genuine care to ensure our students and neighbors are receiving the education, information and support they need. Most recently, Stafford started the 鈥淲alk this Way鈥� program where staff and student volunteers pass out cookies on the hill to students at the start of the semester. These small treats create the opportunity for volunteers to have a brief conversation with students around safety, alcohol and other behaviors. Along with volunteers, she was out weekend after weekend educating students on how to be a good neighbor.
Highly regarded in her field, Stafford has received many invitations to serve as a consultant, mentor and presenter. In November of 2014, she traveled to Manchester, England to co-present with the Executive Director of the International Town & Gown Association at the National Community Conference Getting it Right-A Community Approach. Their presentation, The ITGA Model - A Case Study for Effective Programs and Partnerships 鈥� A 麻豆影院 Approach, showcased her work in building relationships between students and the community.