Employee Recognition Committee

Congratulations! Recipients of the 2023 Library Employee Excellence Awards

And We Also Congratulate All This Year’s Outstanding Nominees


Behind the Scenes (Group)

MSL Overnight Hiring and Training Team – Christine Yip, Joanna Tuskey, Vanessa Jewett, Ross Franklin, CJ Gott, Barrett Uhler, Brad Curry, Bernard (Khi) Mingo, and Lourdes Morales

Conservation and Preservation – Fletcher Durant, Katie Smith, Jimmy Barnett

Raimonda Margjoni and Jason Heckathorn

Electronic Resources – Doug Kiker, Gerald Langford, and Devon Hickey

Research and Health Sciences – Marketing Team Margaret Ansell, Matthew Daley, Victoria Miller, Courtney Pyche, Stacey Ray, and Garfield Simmons

Course Reserves – Paul McDonough and Joann Endorf

Behind the Scenes (Individual)

Laura Spears

Julio Muñoz

Tina Litchfield

Matt Kruse

Jennifer Staples

Matt Yost

Garfield Simmons

Stacey Ewing

Misty Colson

Evie Giaconia

Customer Service

Steve Hersch and Michele Wilbanks

SOP Grant Awardees – Jesse Mixson, Mari Meke, Kaela Ramhit, Sara Pace and CJ Gott

Sarah Erekson

Tina Litchfield

Robin Fowler

Victoria Miller

Dominique Curry

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The US Caribbean and Ethnic Florida Digital Newspaper Project – Melissa Jerome and Sarah Tew

Books and Boba Project Team – Lisa Campbell, Michael Dietz, Tiffany Esteban, Jeanne Ewert, Jennifer Hofer and Sara Pace

Pocketalk – Mari Meke, Kelly Handy, Cera Keene and Jesse Mixson

Michelle Nolan

Lauren Adkins

Innovation

Staff Performance Evaluation Task Force – Keith Manuel, Kelly Handy, Jake Goodson, Gregory Clayton, Christine Yip, Joseph Piazza and David Jockers

ARCS AI – Borui Zhang (lead), Aida Miro-Herrans, Natya Hans, Sarah Meyer, Tiffany Esteban, and Xiaoli Ma

Dustin Durden

Cera Keene

Xuan (Lily) Pang

Sarah Prentice

Instruction and Training

Undergraduate Internship Committee – Keith Manuel, Kelly Handy, Adam Chalmers, Ginessa Mahar, Sarah Meyer, Joe Piazza, Joanna Tuskey, and Jasmine Simmons

April Hines

Tiffany Esteban

Kelly Handy

CJ Gott

Jake Goodson

Natya Hans

Adam Chalmers

Outreach

CJ Gott and Joanna Tuskey

LAC Digital Humanities Symposium Organizing Committee – Melissa Jerome, Hélène Huet, Sarah Tew, Tiffany Esteban

Vaccine Hesitancy Project Team – Maggie Ansell, Lauren Adkins, Mary Edwards, Jane Morgan-Daniel, Nina Stoyan-Rosenzweig, Hannah Norton

Library West Creative Team – Lisa Campbell, Hélène Huet, April Hines, Mari Meke, Jeanne Ewert, Sarah Erekson, Sara Pace

Michelle Nolan

April Helena

Barrett Uhler

Ann Baird

Katherine Nguyen


See Our Awardees and Nominees of Past Years –

CHARGE for the COMMITTEE

Establish an ongoing and responsive staff recognition program that is effective and meaningful to Smathers employees and creates direct correlation between the Libraries’ values and goals and what it recognizes and rewards; Collect and solicit from individuals and departments throughout the Libraries individual and departmental achievements and milestones; Coordinate the staff recognition opportunities available through the work of the Holidays Party Planning Committee, the Convocation Planning Committee, and the Staff Picnic Planning Committee; Encourage opportunities for staff recognition through other library programs, including Public Information and Staff Development; Build and ensure a committee membership that reflects library wide participation; Seek means of funding recognition programs and awards

Current Committee Members:

  • Verna Bedford (June 30, 2025)
  • Beatriz Lugo (June 30, 2025)
  • Christine Driver Yip (June 30, 2024)
  • Leonardo (Jun) Tolentino (June 30, 2024)
  • John Seay (June 30, 2024)
  • Carrie Adams (June 30, 2024)
  • Mari Meke (co-chair, 2023-2024) (June 30, 2024)
  • James Cusick (co-chair, 2023-2024) (June 30, 2026)
  • Jeremiah Carlson (June 30, 2026)
  • Patricia Ruwell (June 30, 2026)
  • Tabatha Pursley (June 30, 2026)

The Employee Recognition Committee reports to Valrie Minson, Assistant Dean and Chair, Marston Science Library


Apply for Recognition Funds

Request funding to acknowledge and congratulate a team, group or individual for their accomplishment, major milestone or excellence toward organizational goals.

Retirements

Learn about hosting and funding a retirement event for a colleague

Library Employee Excellence Awards – Nominations are Closed