Published: Feb. 10, 2017
Chancellor DiStefano speaks at the 2017 Staff Council years of service appreciation event

A research administrator, a housing maintenance supervisor, an associate registrar and an associate director from Environmental Health & Safety walk into a room. No, it’s not a punchline. It’s the annual staff appreciation event honoring staff and recent retirees for years of service to CU Boulder.

The event, hosted annually by Staff Council since 1977, honors staff members who have served for 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years. These long-serving members of the Boulder campus staff are invited to bring a guest and join Chancellor Philip DiStefano, members of Staff Council and other university leadership in the Glenn Miller Ballroom to be honored for their service to campus.

Staff honored at the ceremony are also presented with a University of Colorado pin commemorating their years of service.

Vice Chair of Staff Council and Chair of Awards and Staff Recognition (ASR) Committee Megan Schosker said of the event, “It is a labor of love for both the Awards and Service Recognition Committee and Staff Council. Though it is a lot of work, it is work we are proud of. This event provides an opportunity for some of the university’s most committed employees to meet the chancellor and enjoy some time meeting other people from across campus.”

In his remarks, Chancellor DiStefano said that staff is the backbone of the university.

“We will be a leader in addressing the humanitarian, social and technology challenges of the 21st century, and all of you in this room, and your colleagues, are critical to that challenge,” DiStefano said. “In supporting these imperatives, I hope you find that CU continues to be an environment that is conducive to your continued personal and professional growth.”

In addition to this event, the ASR Committee sends out recognition certificates to staff who have given 5, 10 and 15 cumulative years of service. This year is the first year that those celebrating a 15-year anniversary were also invited to the ceremony.

Schosker says, “We took a step back to look at who we were recognizing and realized that 15 years is an achievement that needs to be celebrated with more than a certificate in the mail.”

Staff Council represents, informs and educates staff employees by serving as a liaison between employees and Boulder campus, university system and state administration. For more information, visit the Staff Council website.

Staff members can view and download photos from the event here by signing in to their Office 365 account.