Staff Senate & Staff Association

Supporting employee wellness and achievement

Joe Carroll Award Winner 2017

Staff Senate Vice President Angie Draheim presented the Joe Carroll Award to Frances Titus at Awards Convocation on April 28, 2017.

This year we are pleased to recognize Frances Titus, fiscal associate II in Schaefer Hall, with the Joe Carroll Award which honors the memory of a staff member who demonstrated an immeasurable amount of dedication and service to our community. Her nominators wrote,

“When you think of Frances you do think “community.” She is an exceptionally caring individual who is unquestionably committed to her faculty, our students, the college and the local community.

Her service to St. Mary’s College of Maryland has been steady and outstanding for over a quarter of a decade. She consistently provides effective and sensitive support to all she encounters and will quickly respond to any interaction with “is there something I can do for you?”

She walks the St. Mary’s Way in her professional and personal interactions so much so that the gentleman engraving her name on the plaque that is displayed in the Campus Center refused payment stating “I am honored to be a part of this award for a wonderful lady!””

Congratulations, Frances!

 

A Glimpse of Gov Cup…continued from the September 2016 Staff Newsletter

The Governor’s Cup Yacht Race was held Friday, Aug 5 – Saturday, August 6, 2016. On Wednesday, August 10, Assistant Director of the Waterfront, Captain Rick Loheed, gave the Communications Committee his account of the experience:

The start was spectacular, the Race Committee was taken out to Annapolis area mark R2 on a gorgeous Beneteau 48 that served as the Committee Boat. We were joined by a 36 Ft Edgewater power boat which served as the check in boat. The weather was superb. We anchored a few hundred yards from the mark and squared the line to the wind. The starts went off very well, with a southerly breeze freshening as the afternoon went on. The SMCM boat ‘Sundog‘, our Seacart 30 Trimaran competed in the multihull A class and ‘Riptide‘, the Beneteau 49 competed in the CRCA ‘Gold’ Cruising class. Between starts we enjoy some great Hors d’oeuvre’s supplied by Adam Werblow (Director of the Waterfront & Head Sailing Coach), a yearly ritual at the start. It is always a beautiful sight to see all the boats heading to St. Mary’s spreading out all over the Bay! Simultaneously 22 boats were started on the Potomac Leg at Dahlgren and 4 boats started on the Southern Leg at the mouth of the Rappahannock River.

Once starts were over in Annapolis we motored back into the sunset where we all drove separate vans and cars home, returning them back to SMCM for the crews of ‘Sundog’ and ‘Riptide‘. Once at SMCM we unloaded the van & prepared the Race Committee items for the Dove. After checking the ‘Kattack’ tracker feeds, we took the items out to the ‘Dove’ around 10 pm. The Waterfront staff came on around midnight and hung the lantern on the cross at Church Point as the St. Mary’s River Yacht Club boarded the ‘Dove’to begin Race Committee duties. Waterfront staff then helped organize the boats on the dock as they arrived, doing whatever they could to keep things flowing smoothly. Saturday morning Adam Werblow was here early, texting me with questions about the computer aboard the Dove by around 6:30 am- I was already on my way to pick up some donuts to take to the ‘Dove’.  I went to the ‘Dove’ and began to enter finishing times into the scoring site at YachtScoring.com. It has been my privilege to enjoy breakfast with Captain Gates and the crew of the ‘Dove’, who are indispensible to the Race Committee at the finish!

Coming ashore early to prepare the final scoring, calculate the special awards, and create the script for presentation to the crowd consumes my time every Gov Cup Saturday, I’ve been known to disappear to an undisclosed location to do that. This year I had tremendous help from Jay Tyson of the Chesapeake Racer Cruiser Association. If it had only been the traditional PHRF rating and scoring system it would have been a breeze- but we added ORC scoring to the event. ORC stands for Offshore Racing Congress and is the most widely used rating system in the world- but using it here is a brand new idea.  This time is always stressful- I am like a cat on a hot tin roof until the Awards ceremony begins… I can finally relax once the awards have been determined. After enjoying the party until around 10:00 pm I chased the last of the people out of the River Center so I could lock up and go home!

Though I’ve been trying to get away since Monday, I’ve just today finished enough to say I’m starting some time off!

So what where the results?    To make it as fair as possible, the boats are scored using handicapping systems- 3 different systems were used to score various parts of the Gov Cup this year!  SunDog, skippered by Director of Sailing, Bill Ward, was the first boat from Annapolis to arrive in St. Mary’s City, however it is also rated the fastest multihull on the Bay so they finished 3rd on corrected time. Awards are given on corrected time. Riptide placed 2nd in the CRCA “Gold” Cruising Class.

For a historic write up of the annual event and more race results visit: https://dev.smcm.edu/events/govcup/

Joe Carroll Award Winner 2016

President Jordan and Beth Byrd presented the Joe Carroll Award to Sam Goddard at Awards Convocation on April 22, 2016.

This year we are pleased to recognize Sam Goddard, a general trades mechanic with the Physical Plant, with the Joe Carroll Award which honors the memory of a staff member who demonstrated an immeasurable amount of dedication and service to our community.

His nominators wrote, “Sam demonstrates a phenomenal work ethic, positive attitude, and a commitment to SMCM and our students, staff and facilities. He is always courteous, diplomatic, and flexible which goes a long way!  He will offer suggestions when a solution is needed and make recommendations when an improvement might be made.  He is the ultimate team player [and he] cares about the campus whether it is fixing something in a building or helping to prepare for an event he is “Sam on the spot” with a helping hand and a friendly smile.”

 

Congratulations, Sam!

Andrew Llewellyn Accepted in the League of American Orchestras Essential of Orchestra Management

In February, Andrew Llewellyn, operations and production coordinator for the Department of Music, was accepted into the League of American Orchestras Essentials of Orchestra Management Seminar in NYC. The two-week intensive course covered areas of management such as: artistic vitality, business and operational models, community engagement, and leadership.

Most recently, Andrew was also accepted to serve on the grant review panel for Artist Fellow-ship Program applicants in Music with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Published Photo in SpinSheet Magazine

In February, Tom Brewer, lab coordinator for the Department of Biology, had a photo published on the cover of the February issue of SpinSheet magazine, as well as three photos from the 2013 Possum Bowl which were used in an article about the Possum Bowl. Check out SpinSheet online at http://spinsheet.com/magazine1/read-spinsheet-online/

Now That’s Service!

Congratulations to the following staff who have served the College for 5 to 25 years If you see these folks on campus or in town, stop and say “Thanks for a job well done!”

25 Years of Service:

  • Jeffrey A. Barnes – Senior Database Administrator, Information Technology
  • Richard T. Wagner – Director of the Campus Store

20 Years of Service:

  • Thomas B. Brewer, III– Laboratory Coordinator, Schaefer Hall
  • Michelle L. Forinash – Assistant Director of Human Resources
  • Joanne A. Goldwater – Associate Dean of Students/Director of Residence Life
  • Steven W. Gregory – Superintendent of Grounds
  • Richard D. Platt – Associate Dean of Faculty, Academic Affairs

15 Years of Service:

  • James S. Gott –Assistant Supervisor of Trades, Physical Plant
  • Nadine L. Hutton – Director of Financial Aid
  • Kathryn S. Lewin – Office Associate II, Goodpaster Hall
  • Mark Mimay – HVAC Mechanic, Physical Plant
  • Kennie A. Rodgers – Assistant Supervisor of Housekeeping, Physical Plant

10 Years of Service:

  • Derek K. Thornton – Assistant Vice President of Campus Operations, Physical Plant
  • Marsha L. Wilcox – Financial Aid Coordinator, Financial Aid

5 Years of Service:

  • Joshua D. Allen –Senior Web Administrator, Information Technology
  • Kyle K. Bishop – Director of Counseling Services
  • George E. Bryant – Caretaker I, Physical Plant
  • Kevin T. Duffy – Groundskeeper/Gardener I
  • Sahra I. Grube – General Support Staff/Mail, Physical Plant
  • Patrick G. Hunt – Procurement Officer/Director of Auxiliary Operations, Business Affairs
  • Roberto N. Ifill – Interim Dean of Students
  • Richard W. Loheed, II – Assistant Director of Waterfront Activities, Waterfront
  • Gabriel A. Mbomeh – Director of Accounting/Comptroller, Business Affairs
  • Clinton B. Neill – Assistant Director of Student Activities
  • Kathryn D. Newkirk – Head Women’s Field Hockey Coach, Athletics & Recreation
  • Sylvester L. Parran, Jr. – Groundskeeper I
  • Catherine A. Robinson – Budget Analyst, Business Affairs

Off to the Wild Blue Yonder with Our Best Wishes
Can’t imagine ever leaving this place? The following staff and faculty made the leap to retirement during 2013:

  • Julia R. Bates (10 years) – Facilitator for Educational Studies and St. Mary’s Projects
  • Gail Dean (29 years) – Administrative Assistant, Office of Academic Affairs
  • Janet M. Kosarych-Coy (23 years) – Assistant Professor
  • Jack D. Short (16 years) – Computer Programmer/Analyst, Information Technology
  • Lois T. Stover (16 years) – Professor of Educational Studies
  • Lane A. Anderson (19 years) – Media Infrastructure Specialist, Library
  • Janet M. Lawrence (21 years) – Office Associate I, Admissions
  • Donna Richardson (32 years) – Professor of English

Hats Off to Our Incredible Staff!

  • Tina Garner recently joined the Calvert Commission for Women. This organization helps females by passing on important and vital information with a creative positive movement twist.
  • Joanne Goldwater was interviewed on the Fox 45 (Baltimore) Morning News on Sun, Nov 17. A colleague, Katie Boone, from UMBC joined her. They shared information on Gender- Neutral Housing  (called “Open Housing” at SMCM). Arminta Stanfield did a great job prepping Joanne and Katie for their interview.
  • Frances Titus completed the 7-week (21 hours) Citizen Academy offered by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department. The program allows participants (anyone over the age of 18) to see the day-to-day operations of the department and the opportunity to learn about topics such as the K-9 unit, Forensics/Crime Lab, Community Policing, and Uniform Patrol. Frances says, “I learned so much ‘behind the scenes’ information. The experience increased my appreciation and respect of our local law enforcement. I encourage others to attend.” Get more info and the program application at http://www.firstsheriff.com/citizensacademy.asp

Hats Off to Our Incredible Staff!

  • Tommy Cable graduated from UMUC in Spring 2013 with a Masters of Business Administration.
  • Elizabeth Clune-Kneuer was elected to a three-year term on the Steering Committee for the North East Association of Institutional Research (NEAIR).
  • Joanne Goldwater facilitated three presentations at the Mid-Atlantic Association of College and University Housing Officers annual conference in Pittsburgh, PA. The programs were “Surviving (and Thriving)Through Leadership Change,” “Regional Entry-Level Institute,” and “Bridging Academic and Social Experiences(BASE).” Joanne was also actively involved with the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, held Oct. 20 at Wildewood Shopping Center. She served on the planning committee, did fundraising, and was the emcee for the event. As a three-year breast cancer survivor, Joanne is happy to help any employee facing a cancer diagnosis.
  • Katie Daly Hiebert ’04, recently became a licensed psychologist in the state of Maryland.

Hats Off to Our Incredible Staff!

  • Veronica Douglas is lead librarian for the SMCM Library’s ACRL Assessment in Action project this year.
  • Director of International Education Mandy Reinig has published a blog post with the European Association for International Education, the top international education association in Europe.
  • Public Safety Officer Christopher Kessler was named Officer of the Year at SMCM for 2012. He was honored at the 13th Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day held on May 14, 2013 at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center. “Officer Christopher Kessler has shown exceptional performance in his duties as a Public Safety Officer at [SMCM]. This will be his second time being selected as Officer of the Year in his 3.5 years of employment at the college. He has an excellent rapport with the campus community, and knows what is necessary to keep the community and property safe. He is a dependable, well liked, and trusted officer both within the department and throughout the college. Despite the difficulties of his role here at St. Mary’s, Officer Kessler keeps a positive attitude when dealing with students. He is always courteous and never judgmental no matter the situation he is involved in….We are pleased to select Officer Chris Kessler as our Officer of the Year due to his outstanding performance and dedication to our department”

Hats Off to Our Incredible Staff!

  • Kyle Bishop just completed her Ph.D. in counseling psychology with a concentration in counselor education. Congratulations, Kyle!
  • Lee Capristo offered a professional development workshop on office writing on March 12.
  • Sally Mercer offered two professional development workshops this semester; “12 Mistakes that Managers Make” on March 22 and “Leadership at Every Level” on April 4.
  • Joanne Goldwater is codirector of the 16th annual Regional Entry-Level Institute at NYU in late May. She is also current chair of the Foundation Board of ACUHO-I and will present two programs at its annual conference in June. In September, Joanne will present a webinar for PaperClip Communications called “Dealing with Difficult Student Employees.”
  • Chip Jackson graduated from Leadership Southern Maryland in May. The year-long leadership program has two other current SMCM staff as grads: Liisa Franzén, Class of 2009, and Lee Capristo, Class of 2011.
  • Kelly Smolinsky is a first-time homeowner. She used the House Keys 4 Employees program for state of Maryland employees to help her get a good deal. Learn more about the program and its benefits here.