2022 Staff Merit Awards Winners

Kathy provides a welcoming, engaging, and collaborative environment for everyone. In addition to managing day to day operations, she carries out responsibilities well beyond her listed duties including being designated the building liaison and protocol officer for COVID-19 for Merion Hall. Kathy quickly established a reputation for getting things done. Her professional networks extend far outside of the department. She is described as being relentless in advocating for students, insisting that they be treated fairly and given due benefit of doubt. Kathy accepts work responsibilities graciously. She identifies problems that need resolution and completes tasks in a timely manner!

Described by her peers as committed, hard-working, and creative, Bitsy single-handedly supports four senior administrators, each with busy schedules. Most importantly, she is a consummate professional and a warm soul who truly cares about SJU and our community. She is a veteran Administrative Assistant having served both in University Advancement and University Relations for over 20 years. She oversees the operating budget and liaises with HR and OFA on all personnel and budgetary matters. If you need to get something done fast and well go to Bitsy - it's that simple.

Starting off his SJU career as a Graduate Assistant and having held numerous positions within the University over the years, Tim displays excellent job performance. He is willing to help with anything, even with things that are not his responsibility, while never losing his cool. Described as being a leader and a high performer, his customer service skills with both the students and the employees reporting to him is unsurpassable. He enhances the university image each time he speaks with a student or a parent because he exhumes confidence in all that he does. He knows not only the curriculum inside and out but also knows all procedures and protocols and acts accordingly. Tim is truly a great leader!

Stella is an impactful member of the Finance team, utilizing her skills to contribute to organizational effectiveness, marketing, and student services in higher education for Accounting, Finance, and DSS. She is a constant resource to anyone with questions about processes, procedures She is cooperative, agreeable, and willing to step forward for the students, faculty, and administrators. Stella Jacobs is a role model for others continuously going above and beyond no matter what. She has been able to support her academic departments with true professionalism and commitment. She is a valuable source of information for all in Mandeville!

Tinamarie is a Campus Minister and Adjunct in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. She is an expert and published author on monasticism and women’s spirituality. She has many accomplishments including being the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Joan Chittister Internship.Tinamaria has gone above and beyond these past two years with her willingness to forego lots of personal goals to serve SJU first as a Contact Tracer and then as a Contact Tracer team leader. All the while she has continued to serve as a key mentor to many of our students during these hard times. She planned and executed three student immersion trips while on break from contract tracing and allowed our students to maintain key formative experiences and engagement while most programs for them were not operative.

Richard is described as being the cornerstone of the IT department at SJU. He has been a part of the SJU community since 1994 when he started as a Student Employee. In his various roles, Richard has provided support to countless faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Richard has always been one of the most hard-working members of the OIT team, but during the pandemic Richard went above and beyond, coming to campus daily to provide support for essential employees, often working nights and weekends. SJU and the Office of Information Technology would not be the same without Richard. Each year, Richard engages in midnight breakfast, volunteers for commencement, and serves on other committees across campus. His colleagues rely on his technical expertise and know that they can always count on him for support!

For the past several years, Renie has worked with several dedicated coaches and staff to prepare SJU student-athletes for life after Hawk Hill. The most recent example of overwhelming success is the involvement of our Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) in the Gompers School service project.The implementation of the Gompers grant was made possible by the tireless work of Renie and the student-athletes. The results have been an incredible win/win - both for Gompers and our athletes. Renie works every day to help us deliver on the promise we make to prospective student-athletes that we will help maximize their potential as people, students, and athletes.

Will is a champion of DEI on the MarComm team and at the University-level, bringing ideas and recommendations on many important initiatives. He is one of the co-facilitators of SJU's Safe Zone Training, which raises awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community through the lens of the ally. As an alumni of SJU, Will has been a leading force behind the University's LGBTQIA+ inclusion efforts since his time as a student on Hawk Hill. Most recently, Will was a co-lead for the Day of Dialogue’s Proposal Committee, playing a critical role in the success of the event by managing the strategy of web and email communications. Will embodies a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything he does both personally and professionally.

Since 2008, Chontel has been a critical member of the SJU community. She enjoys working with faculty to create educational experiences that are engaging and learner-centered. As a founding member of the Office of Information Technology DEI Council, Chontel is a leader in the IT organization serving to provide guidance to employees about DEI initiatives at SJU and beyond. She has also worked as both a co-chair and presenter for the Day of Dialogue. Chontel always brings a fresh perspective to conversations about DEI and asks that instead of getting frustrated, we put ourselves in others' shoes!