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
OBJECTIVES of the COMMITTEE
To promote good will and improve morale among staff; to develop appropriate, timely and satisfying ways to recognize individual and departmental achievement; to recognize length of service, excellent performance, creativity, and strong working relationships
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