February 2023 Constellation Award – CBS SRS Back-to-school Expo Team – nominated by Jessica Bradley
The I&S Employee Recognition Committee is proud to award an I&S Constellation Award to Claudia Lopez, Jarod Davies, Alan Slinkard, Rocio Mongragon, Rubi Andazola, Byung Choe, Alex Acosta, Brenda Chavez and Barry Sparks – congratulations! These individuals were nominated by Jessica Bradley for the following reasons: I would like to nominate this group within Campus Building Services for their voluntary participation in the SRS back-to-school expo. They went above and beyond and provided some wonderful, prideful responses about how our work group contributes to fulfilling the mission and vision of I&S from their perspectives. I was very proud of their responses and how dedicated they are to their work. Some of them also helped with planning and prep for the expo and several participated at the expo as well. Thank you all!
February 2023 Constellation Award – Team 9 Floor Crew (CBS) – nominated by Carolyn Nalezny
Sincere gratitude goes out to Team 9 Floor Crew! Both the team leads, Jay and Scott are always very professional, flexible and collaborative when it comes to having the floors in the ITLL refinished! This summer their team went above and beyond! Not only did they take all floors in the ITLL down to base, they were detailed in their workmanship. Jay and Scott met with our Director and discussed the expectations of the project and they delivered! Thank you for all the hard work!
February 2023 Constellation Award – John Kline and Craig Perez (Elevators/Fire Alarms Shop) – nominated by Zac Niehues
These two did a great job responding to all of the frozen sprinkler pipes across campus during December and over the holidays. They were quick to respond, identify issues, and make repairs where possible. As a team they prioritized work and had good communication with me on the progress. This was very helpful in coordinating with all the different groups working on the campus response. Thanks, guys!
February 2023 Constellation Award – Chris Maestas and Team 1 (CBS) – nominated by John Henderson and Cherie Summers (Engineering)
Kudos to our Custodial Supervisor Chris Maestas and his team at the Engineering Center. They are truly Custodians of this building and work hard to keep it running! Not only are they diligent in their daily tasks, but Chris is also proactive about reporting issues before they become a problem. We had a large flood in our ECEE wing before the holidays last year, and Chris was the first person to contact me. The wing lost power, so the company that called in to mitigate the damage could not run their equipment. Chris and his team quickly stepped in with their battery-powered water pickup machines until power was restored. When I got to the building that day, I found his team spread out in all areas of the wing picking up water and collecting debris such as ceiling tiles destroyed in the flood. Keep in mind, they were doing this in standing water, with very little light or heat. I truly believe their efforts saved us from further property damage that day. They even go above and beyond in some of their daily duties, like shoveling and deicing the entryways. On snowy days, Chris updates me on their efforts and leaves the deicer out for me to use after they leave for the day. When Chris is short-staffed, he comes in early to pick up the slack and even takes the time to report any security concerns he finds early in the morning. Our building is a safer place to be due to his efforts. My heartfelt thanks to Chris and his team for all they do!
January 2023 Star Award – Osei Simmons (Distribution Services) – nominated by Dara Schenck
Osei and I began working at the Distribution Center around the same time, and since our first day he has demonstrated steadfast willingness, professionalism, and care that make him not only a reliable coworker but really just a delight to be around. As someone who answers the phone and speaks with staff and faculty often, I have heard many compliments given to Osei and everyone in property services about their good customer service and attention to safety while on jobs. Yesterday, a faculty member reached out regarding a laser cutter being delivered to a lab on campus. The faculty member put simply, "Osei looked like he was running the whole show!" They then went on to talk about how Osei answered questions and was very supportive to his fellow teammates. Osei is one of the many gems at the distribution center that anticipates the needs of customers, coworkers, and everyone in between, and that's what makes him a bona fide star!
December 2022 Star Award – Tanya Patzer (I&S Human Resources) – nominated by Scott Redder
Tanya has always done an amazing job supporting all of the Facilities Staff. Lately she has gone above and beyond. Not only has she continued to do her own job well, she has been very involved in the AssetWorks deployment as well as covering vacancies in her department. She does this with a very positive attitude, and a light-hearted nature. She is professional, prompt and detail-focused. Well done, Tanya!
December 2022 Star Award – Dena Heisner (PD&C) – nominated by Mike Turman
Dena continues to do an exceptional job within our department. She is an integral team member on the Hellems renovation and continues to make improvements for PD&C with employee onboarding and development of the project delivery guide. In November 2022, she did an exceptional job leading Josh and David through our onboarding program and introduction series with the PD&C and I&S teams.
