Three will receive the University of New Mexico’s top honor for staff, the Gerald W. May Award, during a ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 7, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the UNM Student Union, ballroom C. The UNM Staff Council Rewards and Recognition Committee organizes the annual awards. Board of Regents President Jamie Koch will honor the individuals, followed by a reception for recipients, family and friends. Acting President David Harris made the final award selections, choosing these 2006 honorees.
They are:
Kathy Gienger, supervisor, University Libraries Print Resources Department
Kathy is one of the library staff that works behind the scenes to make the book-to-shelf-to-patron process seamless. She is the main liaison and contact for more than 1,500 vendors and publishers from which the library orders materials.
Kathy exercises a high level of independent judgment and follow-through as she is responsible for receiving thousands of items in a timely manner and supervising student workers who assist in the task. Kathy is inventive and fearless in mastering new technologies and in helping coworkers and students learn them, too.
During the weeks after the Zimmerman Library fire, Kathy innovatively constructed a temporary workspace “out of nothing” at Parish Library, writes her nominator. She also ensured that vendors received payments. She was among the first to be called upon to inventory, box and send out library materials to be cleaned and stored. Her nominator adds, “All of the library staff deserves to be commended for their response to this crisis. Kathy stands out – our super nova.”
Joshua Kavanagh, associate director, Parking and Transportation Services
An EMBA graduate, Josh conceived and supported implementation of an innovative Web-based system that was one of the first in the nation for online parking permit purchases. He expanded the application to include other processes such as online citation appeals and permit waivers. His commitment to improving communication between the department and customers is demonstrated through expanded public information tools. He was instrumental in the hiring of employees with disabilities and understands the range of customer needs.
Josh is a long-standing member of the United Way’s Young Leaders Society and is co-chair of this year’s UNM United Way campaign. A nominator writes, “ Josh has to be the only person in the history of parking services who has made his personal cell phone number available publicly. This confidence and dedication to customer service is just one of the reasons he’s been a central part of raising the image of the department.”
Summer Little, program services coordinator, UNM Women’s Resource Center
Summer is a mentor and supervisor of student employees and to all UNM students who visit the resource center. She founded the Women Studies Honor Society, develops new ways of doing student outreach and represents the center at student and parent orientations and numerous recruitment events.
Summer recently worked tirelessly to create UNM’s first Lactation Station for new mothers, now housed at the center. She was instrumental in creating UNM’s first Survey on the Status of Women, providing important data to better assist women who study and work on campus. Summer helped organize two major conferences oriented to the needs of girls in grades 6-12.
Off campus, she serves as president of a residential treatment program for the developmentally disabled. Her nominator writes, “Summer is well respected, not only on the UNM campus, but also with the more than 30 Albuquerque community organizations that the center interacts with on an annual basis. She is a woman who walks with much integrity and compassion in this world.”
Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu