Maryville College staff members honored for a job well done during annual Staff Day event
May 16, 2023
Relief and jubilation were evident in the smiles of Maryville College faculty, administrators and staff members who gathered May 11 in the Alumni Gym on the MC campus for the annual Staff Recognition Awards ceremony.
Held less than a week after Commencement, the Staff Day event is designed to welcome new staff members, congratulate those who have reached milestone anniversaries as College employees and recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to the greater College community. The 30th annual event capped another milestone year for Maryville College, the successes of which were made possible by the work of those assembled for the event.
“As you may have heard me state at Commencement when acknowledging the College’s staff, you are the people who literally open and close the doors of the College each and every single day,” MC President Dr. Bryan Coker said during his remarks. “You maintain our campus, you support, care for, and love our students. You protect, feed and nourish them.”
Coker spoke after an invocation by Jamie Webster, interim campus minister, and a welcome by Sarah Taylor Yeaple ’08, director of the MC Career Center and chair of Staff Council. In addition, Chief Operations Officer John Berry delivered facilities, human resources and other operational updates, and Dr. Ja’Wanda Grant, newly installed vice president and dean of students, touched on administrative changes that will be taking place in the Office of Student Affairs under her leadership.
With 210 graduates receiving diplomas on May 6 and more than 300 new undergraduates expected to enroll at Maryville College for the fall semester, the next academic year will be no less hectic — but the Staff Recognition Awards, Coker pointed out, are a way to recognize those behind the scenes for a job well done.
Employee recognition
The following staff members were honored for five years of service to Maryville College: Jordan Ballard ’16, assistant women’s basketball coach; Jessica Boor-White, prevention education coordinator; Tammy Fawver, housekeeper; Nicci Grigsby ’08, Clayton Center for the Arts house manager; Dr. Danielle Lincoln, chemical hygiene officer and natural sciences officer; Valerie Love, administrative assistant for Facilities Operations; Amy Lundell ’06, Maryville College archivist; Steve Miller, housekeeper; Brad Pedersen, advancement gifts coordinator; Lori Sikes, housekeeper; and Wendy Specter, administrative assistant for the Divisions of Humanities and Languages and Literature.
The following staff members were recognized for 10 years of service: Elizabeth Brown Harrison ’94, disability services sign language interpreter; Susan Hopkins, security officer; and Blake Smith, Clayton Center for the Arts general manager.
Russ Porter, web manager, was recognized for 15 years of service.
T.K. Gebermichal, custodial services worker, and Angela Quick, library director, were both recognized with 20-year service awards.
Members of the College’s 25+ Year Club were also honored: Karen Beaty Eldridge ’94, executive director of the Office of Marketing and Communications; Liz Evans ’96, database administrator; Joe Everett, maintenance worker; Rick Henderson, HVAC specialist; and Marsha Wynn, advancement services and campaign manager.
Four members of the College’s 30+ Year Club were recognized as well: Pepe Fernandez, head men’s and women’s soccer coach; Bruce Guillaume ’76, founder of Mountain Challenge; Belinda Kenny, director of corporate sales and events; and Kandis Schram ’85, head volleyball coach.
Award winners
Twenty-six employees were also nominated for three awards given for outstanding service during the 2022-23 academic year. After recognizing all the nominees, Coker presented awards to three of them:
Gebermichal 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.
Rose Sampley ’19, technical director for the Clayton Center for the Arts, 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.
Bruce Buchanan, painter and member of the MC Facilities Operations Team, 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.
