Congratulations to Heather Adams, recipient of the 2019 Summer Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award!

Adams is an Administrative Services Manager A for Student Affairs and is described as someone who creates a positive, welcoming atmosphere for students and colleagues to stop by and ask questions, or to wait with before meeting with another Student Affairs staff member. She has strong knowledge of not only the college community, but of the larger Clark County community as well. She readily offers this information to coworkers and students who have questions that reach beyond the Dean of Student Engagement’s office. Adams engages students in a meaningful way even when her interactions with them are brief. She continually provides information to students about how the Dean of Student Engagement, and the Office of Student Affairs, can be of assistance to the student’s individual success.

Below are additional comments about Adams:

• “One of my favorite things is when students take Heather up on her offer to ‘stop by and say hi’ to our office even when they do not have a question or need; it is clear evidence that Heather excels at community-building and cares for Clark.”
• “Heather has provided administrative coordination for my office, as well as for the BITA, Title IX, and Conduct areas. She tracks budgets, makes travel arrangements, facilitates communication via email, phone and in-person with students and community partners, and has coordinated team meetings and special projects on behalf of the Dean.”
• “Heather is continually looking for ways to interact with all levels of the Clark College community. She has become a valuable resource with her creative ideas and solid problem-solving. Heather has taken on the role of co-presenter on various Student Care presentations – specifically within the areas of BITA, Conduct, and Title IX. Heather is regularly scheduled to co-present at the quarterly New Faculty Orientation meetings and other invitations that arise; she is a competent and engaging presenter who can easily take the reins if the other presenter is unavailable.”
• “Heather recently graduated with a master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration. To help Clark College and to utilize her training, she has become an integral member of the Title IX team. Heather serves as investigator for student-related Title IX cases by investigating alleged discrimination and/or harassment. In addition, she interviews complainants, respondents, and material witnesses; and obtains and reviews documents and other relevant materials. This work can be difficult and draining; she handles it professionally and efficiently.”

Congratulations, as well, to all nominees for the 2019 Summer Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award:

Tavish Bell’s role as a Program Specialist 2 for Student Affairs was primarily to implement and track the programs related to the federal Office on Violence Against Women grant that Clark College received in 2017. (She recently took another position at the college in Workforce Education Services.) Bell has been tirelessly working with federal programmers to bring innovative training, promotion and support programs for prevention of sexual assault to the Clark College campus.

“This work is not easy or comfortable,” wrote one nominator. “Tavish has a grasp on the sensitivity of the work and the support that is needed for the continuation of the grant work here in our community. Tavish is quick to outreach to support services for students in need of that approach, [and] she is willing to connect with other campus departments to provide training and information around sexual assault topics.”

In her short time with Clark, Tavish has integrated the Bystander Intervention program into the Student Leadership Summit; worked with IT and Library to develop three “Defense Against the Dork Arts” workshops to provide tips on cyberstalking/surveillance prevention, digital bystander intervention, and understanding the impact of digital violence on the brain; and led many outreach efforts to students, clubs, Safety and Security, employees, and outside support groups.

Additional comments about Tavish Bell:

• “Tavish goes above and beyond in all aspects of her work. She maintains a presence on campus working with students, departments, and also managing community partners to spread the importance of this work. All of the work Tavish does is directly in place to support our students in prevention and survival of sexual assault, stalking, and dating/domestic violence.”
• “I wish I had this training in high school, the information is so useful and the peer educators showed that there is a way to talk about these things in a way that isn’t uncomfortable.” — a student participant in one of Bell’s workshops
• “After this class I feel like I understand consent much more clearly and also know how to help if I see someone who is uncomfortable/may need help.” – a student participant in one of Bell’s workshops

Layla Otey is a Budget Analyst 4 for Information Technology Services. She is described as someone who always keeps people smiling with her great sense of humor. In addition to spreading joy, Layla has completely revamped the department’s budget tracking and improvement process, using her expertise to help the team understand the budget expenses and better manage the department’s funds. She is creative in identifying numerous opportunities to save resources and has renegotiated contracts with ITS’s major suppliers and develops excellent relationships with key vendors, making connections with sales reps and consultants to ensure that the college is well represented to the outside business community.
Otey also has demonstrated her commitment to customer service as a member of the Tech Fee Committee, constantly advocating for student technology improvements and ensuring that the Tech Fee is spent to maximize the benefit to students. She has reviewed the expenses and the budget thoroughly to ensure that the focus is on student achievement.

Other comments about Otey:

• “In addition to her humor, Layla introduced the ITS Project Management team to the ‘Affirmators’ cards, which encourages each of us to bring our best selves to the job and to constantly ‘use our power for good.’”
• “Whenever I request data, software, or information, Layla always gets back to me promptly and provides me with what I need. Layla is very creative and uses different software tools and methods to get what I and other people are looking for or need help with. With so many requests coming from different directions, she is prompt and professional in all her interactions, going above and beyond to ensure excellent technology service.”
• “One of the best things that Layla has done to demonstrate initiative is to act as a mentor to one of the ASCC Student Government leaders. This relationship has strengthened ties between the department and students and has demonstrated an excellence in collaborative and cooperative work.”
• “Layla has completely revamped the department’s budget tracking and improvement process, using her expertise to help the team understand the budget expenses and better manage the department’s funds.”