Congratulations to our 2023 Staff Recognition Award Honorees!
The 2023 Staff Recognition Awards were announced by President Jerome on Friday.
Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees!
President’s Award for Professional Excellence
Elias Ahmed and Nathalie Guzman
Recognizes a full-time staff member who goes above and beyond every day to “live” the University’s values and culture and has a positive impact on making Monroe a great place to study and work
Mildred King Innovator Award
Dr. Militza Gonzalez and Abigail Thorpe
Recognizes a full-time staff member who has shown leadership and innovation by identifying a specific need within the University community and showing the initiative to follow through (leading or helping to lead a great solution to it)
Distinguished Mentor Award
Jamie Kopchynski and Denise Senderson
Recognizes a full-time staff member who has demonstrated excellence as a mentor to students and who truly goes the extra mile to connect with their students and help them succeed
Rising Star Award
Michelle Moore, Carlos Ortega, Robert Rivera, and Matthew Sanderson
Recognizes a full-time staff member who has been at the University less than three years and has demonstrated outstanding performance in their role
Outstanding Merit Award
Temajio Boodle, Mataya Culmer, and Linda Lattimore
Recognizes a part-time employee who has demonstrated exemplary commitment to students and the University’s mission
Outstanding Service Award
Jose Beltrez, Elias DeJesus, and Paul Rizzuto
Recognizes a Facilities, Public Safety or Transportation staff member who has demonstrated exemplary commitment to students and the University
The winners were announced at a festive holiday celebration held at the Greentree Country Club on December 8th.
In addition to announcing the Staff Recognition Awards, President Jerome also presented the Monroe Hero Award to Nathalya Escalante, an Athletic Trainer with our Div. I Mustangs program. When one of our student-athletes collapsed last month after hitting her head hard in a volleyball tournament in Florida, Nathalya quickly came to her aid, starting CPR when she found no pulse. Her quick actions saved the student’s life.
Now in its second year, the Staff Recognition Awards program recognizes exceptional employee performance across six key areas tied to the University’s values and culture.
Similar to our Faculty of Distinction program that celebrates excellence in teaching among faculty, this staff-centric program is driven by peer nominations.
Employees from across the University were asked to submit the names of colleagues deemed most deserving of the individual honors along with a supportive paragraph about the person’s suitability. The final decisions on honorees were informed by those submissions.
Our inaugural group of Staff Recognition Award honorees were announced and celebrated earlier this month at a festive holiday gathering in New Rochelle. Honorees received the warm applause of their peers, along with a cash award and commemorative crystal.