Employee of the Year Zina Price receives her award
 

Employee of the Year Zina Price receives her award from Director of Operations and Facilities Brian Stroup.

Team members honored for excellence, years of service

July 25, 2018 — Four employees received awards for outstanding work this spring at the annual UHDS all-department meeting, and 30 more were recognized for having served in the department for five years or more.

The winners in each category were nominated by their co-workers for their excellent work and commitment to the department's core values.

Employee of the Year: presented annually to a staff member who exemplifies daily the mission, vision and values of UHDS:

  • Zina Price, Dining. Price is a Cook 2 at McNary Dining Center, where she's known not just for her cooking expertise, but also for her skills in mentoring students.

"Zina is a wonderful example in the production kitchen. She has high standards, works hard and cares about the job she does, and takes ownership and responsibility for her area. She provides our guests with the best product she can at all times."

Customer Service Award: given annually to an employee who personifies outstanding customer service:

  • Matt Zimmer, Facilities Zimmer, a plumber on the UHDS Facilities team, was commended in particular for his quick response to a problem that occurred near the end of the day on a Friday. According to his nominator, Zimmer made a point to take action immediately rather than waiting until Monday to investigate further.

"Had Matt not made the call on Friday, we would have been delayed a day, possibly more, in getting the issue fixed. This is just one example of many of the ways Matt prioritizes student and customer needs."

Rising Star: presented annually to a staff member who has been employed in the department for a maximum of three years, and in that time has made contributions through leadership, creative thinking, inspiration, and/or problem-solving:

  • Holly Edwards, Dining Edwards is a Food Service Worker 3. Though she's assigned to Cascadia Market, she's taken initiative to also learn the job requirements at two additional dining locations. Her nominator also noted her leadership and exemplary customer service.

"Holly has meaningful and genuine interactions with our guests, often referring to them by name and finding out how their day is going. She has a passion for learning new skills, and she takes each challenge head on."

  • Kaitlyn Griffin, Operations Griffin is the Assignments and Room Management Coordinator for UHDS, a job that involves managing exemptions, room changes, and room assignments each term. Her nominator commended Griffin for the positive, caring, and student-focused attitude she brings to these time-sensitive tasks.

"Kaitlyn cares deeply for the students she serves, and is always looking for ways to refine our processes to be more efficient and focused on students."

 

Years of Service Awards

 

Five years of service:

  • Kerry Paterson, Gustavo Flores, Robert White, Ben Medeiros, Steve Casares, Derrick Albin, Marvin Rogers, Brian Kreft, Sherrie Godell, Byron Curts, John Moore, Katherine Otten, Sunshine Ward, Melinda Emerson, Christina Reimer, Ryan CdeBaca, Daniel Held, Cheyenne Pozar.

Ten years of service:

  • Travis Heyerly, Jill Childress, Dawn Snyder, Josh Walsh, Tye Raze, Steve Hoelscher, Kristina Reach, Whitney Larkin, Joseph Fuller, Timothy Borgen.

Fifteen years of service:

  • Brian Staffenson