MC staff members’ service recognized during annual event
May 13, 2022
Maryville College’s 29th annual Staff Recognition Awards ceremony was held May 13 in the Clayton Center for the Arts’ William Baxter Lee III Grand Foyer, to provide an opportunity for MC staff, faculty and administrators to welcome new employees, recognize outstanding service and congratulate staff members for milestone years of service.
The event is held every year to honor staff for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service. This year’s luncheon was held in conjunction with Staff Day, sponsored by Maryville College’s Staff Council. A total of 27 staff members were recognized for milestone years.
Kathleen Farnham, director of church relations, led the prayer of invocation, and Keni Lanagan, director of human resources, welcomed staff members to the event.
In his remarks, Maryville College President Dr. Bryan Coker expressed his gratitude for the College’s dedicated staff members, reiterating what he told attendees during the May 7 Commencement ceremony.
“There are those who literally open and close the doors of Maryville College each and every single day,” Coker said. “I want to acknowledge the members of our staff who are here during all of those hours when the rest of us are not. They maintain our campus, they support, care for and love our students. They protect, feed and nourish them. Without the staff of Maryville College, we simply could not fulfill our educational mission.”
Employees recognized for milestone anniversaries
The following staff members were recognized for five years of service: Doniqua Flack Chen ’15, director of campus life; Tessa Cortes, assistant controller; Ramona Ferguson Crawford ’07, administrative assistant, Division of Education; Jamie Dockery, groundskeeper; Kevin Grigsby ’05, associate technical director for Fine Arts; Valorie Kemmerer, housekeeping; Megan Perryman, assistant box office manager; Katherine Sluder, cataloging and collection development librarian, and Dr. Melanie Tucker, vice president and dean of students.
The following staff members were recognized for 10 years of service: Scott Brumett, assistant football coach, and Raul Placeres ’06, head men’s basketball coach.
The following staff members were recognized for 15 years of service: Ahmed Abdelrahman, assistant director, international student enrollment and retention; Teresa Lawson, security officer; and Tyson Murphy ’03, head men’s and women’s cross country coach and Mountain Challenge program manager.
The following staff members were recognized for 20 years of service at the College: Laura Caldwell, senior admissions processor and budget manager; Kathleen Farnham, director of church relations; and Mary Workman, publication manager.
The following staff members were recognized for 25 years of service to the College: Karen Beaty Eldridge ’94, executive director for marketing and communications, and Liz Bentley Evans ’96, database administrator.
Belinda Kenny, director of Corporate Sales and Events, was recognized for 30 years of service to the College.
Members of the College’s 25+ Year Club were recognized. They included: Joe Everett, custodial services worker; Rick Henderson, HVAC specialist; and Marsha Wynn, advancement services and campaign manager.
Members of the College’s 30+ Year Club also were recognized. They included: Larry Ervin ’97, director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion; Pepe Fernandez, head men’s and women’s soccer coach; Bruce Guillaume ‘76, director of Mountain Challenge; and Kandis Schram ’85, head volleyball coach.
Three recognized for outstanding service
Coker recognized three staff members who had been selected for outstanding service during the 2021-22 academic year. There were 32 nominations total, and Coker recognized the nominees for each award.
Ralph Goodson, custodial services worker, was named winner of the Nancy B. Hunter Outstanding Staff Award. The award is named in honor of an employee who was noted for both her long tenure and her ability to keep the office running smoothly while her supervisor was traveling for the College. Nancy held the position of secretary to the president of the College for 28 years. Nancy’s influence and love of reading spilled to the community through her support of the Blount County Friends of the Library and the AAUW’s annual book fair.
Sarah Taylor Yeaple ’08, director of the Maryville College Career Center, was presented the Martha Hess Outstanding Administrator Award. The award is named in honor of alumna and former Registrar to the College for more than 30 years. Martha’s attention to detail in all aspects of her work and her dedication to the College is renowned. Her knowledge of the institution, its history and people, is now put to good use in her post-retirement position as College History Collection Coordinator.
Amy Gilliland, director of community engagement, was recognized with the Sharon Murphy Crane Distinguished Service Award. The award is named in honor of an employee whose spirit of service and commitment to the general good of the College was unmatched. Sharon, an alumna of MC, held the position of director of student life for eight years, but her service reached far beyond her title to include theatre productions, creation of the 100 Days Celebration for seniors and the naming of Isaac’s Café.
