Winter 2019 Classified Excellence Award

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Sara Seyller

Congratulations to Sara Seyller, recipient of the 2019 Winter Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award!

Sara Seyller is a Program Specialist 2 for the Office of Instruction and is described as a “super hero” by her colleagues. “It’s very easy to underestimate the centrality of the work that Sara undertakes for Clark,” wrote one nominator. “A huge number of college processes pass under her watchful eyes, and without her sharp proficiencies in technical detail, there would be delays and consequences for the College as a whole. She demonstrates a determination and commitment that often sees her take on additional tasks and oversight to ensure that all the many processes she contributes to run smoothly. Sara’s spirit is indomitable: She always brings humor alongside her professional drive to move things forward, create improvements, and work within very rigid systems to ensure the best outcome for Clark. She goes above and beyond, and makes herself a resource for those who are struggling and without assistance from any other corner.” 

Seyller gets praise for her tireless committee work. One person said, “As the Chair of the A.A. Advisory Committee, I find Sara to be invaluable in creating the connections between the various committees. While each one has a different purpose and focus, they are all entangled. Decisions made in one committee can have positive or negative effects in the next committee. With Sara’s institutional knowledge as well as her expertise in the legalities of our degree programs, she significantly contributes to the discussion and decision-making regarding curriculum choices and design.” 

Completing tasks with a smile on her face, Seyller’s positive attitude is said to allow for better partnerships, which positively impacts student learning. She is also described as someone “reliable, responsible, and accurate in her work,” whose quick response time and problem-solving skills are “invaluable.”  

Seyller’s timeliness, her quality of work, her willingness to help faculty and staff are appreciated. Her positive and helpful guidance is said to create “a peaceful, collaborative work environment, which has made the college a more productive environment, a friendlier place, and more responsive to our students.” Her positive attitude, humor and smile are contagious to all who come through the Office of Instruction. 

Below are additional comments about Sara:  

  • “Faculty and staff that take part in College Committee work are well aware of the collaboration, support, and great leadership that Sara brings to the college. Without Sara in her current position, we would have a catastrophic mess of information, and our college processes in regard to curriculum, outcomes, assessment, and instructional planning would certainly not be as organized and effective as they are today.” 
  • “She is not afraid to speak up or speak out when students or colleagues need advocacy. She values the hard work of others and in turn works hard to make our campus and our community the best that it can possibly be. She serves on councils and committees and is involved in many different campus initiatives that ask her to give freely of herself and of her time; she does so without asking anything in return except that we do our best to help her carry out the work that she has taken on and truly believes in.” 
  • “Sara goes well above and beyond her job description in offering training and resources to all members of campus, particularly faculty, so that they can successfully navigate the college’s systems. She spends an incredible amount of time personally responding to emails, phone calls, and scheduled and impromptu office visits with people who need help and have questions. She never turns people away if they have questions. She does this not only to make sure that people are informed, but also because she has great empathy for the workload and challenges that her coworkers face.” 
     

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

Shannon Alicea, Program Support Supervisor 2 Disability Support Services  

Shannon Alicea is described as someone who provides a consistently high level of service to the students, public, the community, and coworkers on a regular basis; demonstrates excellence in all areas of her position; and exudes excellent performance of her duties by going above and beyond. One way Alicea shows exemplary work performance is by collaborating with different departments to ensure all public events have sign language interpreters, whether or not there has been an official request from a Deaf consumer. Alicea also works diligently with faculty to ensure videos and content shown in classes are close-captioned; in doing so, she has become a college resource for accessibility and universal design. In her role, Alicea not only provides accommodations for our Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, she provides an outlet for students to have a place to express their concerns, challenges, and situations with classes, campus life, and personal affairs. She advocates and empowers students to utilize all resources and connects them to departments around the college. Shannon’s work is not only limited to the office of Disability Support Services. She actively contributes to special projects, efficiency measures, and serves in leadership roles for the betterment of the college community. 

Additional comments about Shannon: 

  • “Shannon … works closely with students, facility, and interpreters on a daily basis to ensure access and communication in a way that empowers all parties. A vast amount of college community members look to Shannon for her expertise to navigate situations that might otherwise present barriers to communication and access. Shannon demonstrates this with our students by collaborating on solutions and ideas to problems they may face.” 
  • “She works with her fellow interpreter colleagues attentively and diligently to provide feedback and support in interpreting and professional situations, and because of this many interpreters strive to work at Clark College.” 
  • “Shannon strives to fill all interpreting requests, but there are times when interpreters are not able to take these last-minute assignments; in these instances, Shannon takes it upon herself to rearrange her schedule and fill those assignments to ensure equitable access.”  

Lizette Drennan, Program Specialist 2 for the Office of Financial Aid 

Lizette Drennan is described as “extremely detail-orientated, maintaining excellence in her work consistently, and someone who goes above and beyond while working with students to make sure they are on the right track.” With her constant patience, Drennan takes the time to listen to students so she can do the best to serve them. Within her work, Drennan often provides scholarship presentations to the public and community, and is said to make an impact wherever she goes. She goes to scholarship information conferences so she can learn about recent scholarships and teaches her assistants of new offerings to share with students. She works closely with the Clark College Foundation to better serve the students and her colleagues. One person said, “Her work is inspiring, and she has been a great role model as a co-worker.”  

A leader in the LatinX community, Drennan provides a “one-stop” experience to students, showing them a high level of service. One person said, “Any student that comes into the office, she always treats them with a genuine smile and respect.”  

If Drennan cannot assist someone directly with scholarships, she will find a way to find other alternatives, which means she is also contacting different departments that can support the student’s requests and needs. This requires creativity and efficiency, as every student is different. Once she’s able to understand a student’s situation or story clearly, Drennan is described as someone who does her absolute best to find a solution or suitable route that she knows will benefit the student overall. 

Additional Comments about Lizette:  

  • “Students love working with Lizette. They constantly come to her for help with more than just scholarships.”  
  • “She is a well-rounded individual who is very humble, respectful, and always optimistic. She communicates strongly with others by being attentive to their tone of voice, body language, and open ears to everyone.” 
  • “Lizette is a hard worker who is skilled in her position and performs excellently and independently.” 
  • “She shows team cooperation by helping her assistant and student workers with things we need help with.” 
  • “She is full of energy and that brings out the positive environment she portrays every day. Lizette. She constantly checks up on current and graduated students and keep them motivated and going.” 

Amy Harrington, Human Resource Consultant 2 for Human Resources 

Amy Harrington is described as someone who demonstrates and consistently provides high level service to the students, the public, the community, and co-workers. Beginning with a front-desk position, she was promoted a few months ago and has been training in her new job as an HR Consultant 2. Although her new position does not require her to assist customers who walk into HR, she is always one of the first to provide help when the front desk is short-staffed.   

Additional comments about Amy Harrington: 

  • “Amy has the ability to anticipate the needs of her customers and she is an active listener, knowledgeable of available resources, communicates in a kind and confident manner, and follows up in a timely manner.”
  • She is “always willing to help and even if the HR office is busy, Amy always maintains a great level of customer service.”   
  • “Amy is dependable and committed to collaborate to achieve our goals. She is an asset for the HR team.”  

Jonni Hattershide, Program Support Supervisor 2 for Production Printing 

Jonni Hattershide is described as someone who exemplifies the same level of dedication day after day. One person said, “She knows what it means to care about her job and care about people.” Hattershide is friendly and knowledgeable and is quick to get a print job delivered in a timely fashion. One person said, “There were times I sent a print job in ‘last minute’ asking if a ‘rush’ could be put on the job, and within a couple of hours my print job was finished. Jonni is a hard worker and she is dedicated to what she does at Clark College.”  

Additional comments about Jonni Hattershide:

  • “Jonni has great customer-service skills. She is dedicated to helping employees in an efficient and friendly manner. She goes above and beyond to do her job and she does it well by building and maintaining good relationships with Clark employees.”
  • “Jonni has taken on the role of managing the everyday processes of Production Printing. She was involved in the process of moving away from a paper receipt (which required someone to sort and mail out a copy to the departments) to an online copy.”
  • “Often, you will see Jonni driving the golf cart around campus as she delivers bundles of completed print jobs (which are nicely wrapped in brown paper to protect them). Whatever task Jonni takes on, she always maintains a positive attitude.”
  • When Administrative Services has a potluck, Jonni is always ready and willing to help by making decorations for the tables, printed “ice breaker” games, or pictures to hang on the walls, making the area very festive.

Vanessa Meyer, Administrative Assistant 3 for Social Sciences & Fine Arts 

As the primary support for all of the Social and Behavioral Science Departments as well as the Clark College Honors program, Vanessa Meyer is described as someone who always go above and beyond to service students, faculty and administrators in a collegial fashion. One person said, “A student asked for directions to a classroom and instead of just pointing in a direction, Vanessa walked that student to her destination.” Another wrote, “I have witnessed how she staffs the front the desk in Foster Hall engaging students who arrive in a number of emotional states. I have seen her listen to students before responding; calm an agitated, stressed-out student trying to submit a paper to an instructor he could not find; and promptly fix the copier for a faculty member on his way to giving an exam.” Another person said, “As one of her department and division chairs, I can attest to her important role as the Social Science Administrative Assistant.” 

Meyer is also said to be a reliable source of institutional knowledge and thinks creatively to address the needs of students: “Vanessa is absolutely reliable at serving anyone who asks. She goes beyond crossing all the t’s and dotting all the i’s if asked to assist in any task. There has never been a time that I asked for guidance, assistance, or explanation that Vanessa has let me down. She simply sees the people on the other side of her desk as her colleagues worth her time and respect, or students deserving of her service. This is a rare quality in a person.”  

Additional comments about Vanessa: 

  • “Vanessa has been quick to dive into the work and expectations of her new role as an Administrative Assistant 3 (AA3). Vanessa has worked closely with the Bachelors of Applied Science in Human Services (BASHS) Faculty Program Director to build the foundation for this budding program. Before student enrollment began, Vanessa organized a BASHS information session to market the program to students and faculty.” 
  • “Vanessa is quick and responsive to the needs of BASHS faculty, students, and the program as a whole. She has worked hard to ensure consistent division, program, and unit-wide operations.” 
  • “Vanessa demonstrates her commitment to the college community in a number of ways. She is always looking for ways to do things better and more efficiently. In addition to her regular duties, Vanessa serves on the Safety Committee, where she represents Foster Hall. She volunteered to take on this role when no one else was willing because she recognizes the importance of maintaining a safe campus. Furthermore she regularly volunteers to perform building inspections for the Safety Committee.”  
  • “Vanessa knows a lot about this college, and can answer virtually any question from multiple perspectives (besides her long employment here, she was also a student at Clark). I know this is hard to quantify, but I cannot downplay the importance of knowing that someone has your back. Vanessa is simply good for morale, productivity, and instruction and student service. I wish we could clone her.” 

Kate Poffenroth, Program Coordinator for Disability Support Services  

Kate is described as someone who “stands out in terms of her superb reliability and efficiency.” Kate’s devotion to her work allows accommodations to be coordinated in a timely, flawless manner, and her commitment is apparent in the way that she creatively addresses issues. One person said, “I cannot think of a way that a staff member could provide better customer service than Kate does. Each and every day, Kate arrives at the office with energy, enthusiasm, and a great sense of humor that she shares with every person that she sees that day. Our department handles sensitive and difficult issues as students walk into our office for accommodations related to a myriad of disabilities. Kate handles every student situation with tact, professionalism, and sensitivity.”

Another comment shared  is that “Kate is also extraordinary in terms of her ability to multi-task. Within a five-minute span of time, Kate will help a student at the front desk, answer two phone calls, and assist staff in relation to an office matter. Kate is rarely able to complete one task without being interrupted at least several times, and yet she never misses a beat it seems. When Kate is out for lunch or on break, the rest of the office staff covers for her position. It is not uncommon for us all to remark that it easily takes two-plus staff for us to cover the tasks that she singlehandedly addresses every day!” 

Additional comments about Kate: 

  • “Kate’s positive and sunny demeanor not only impacts our students, but the department as a whole. Her boisterous laugh is infectious, and Kate always creates a warm environment that builds collegial cohesion and teamwork.” 
  • “Kate tracks hundreds of details that require high-level processing. This kind of tracking is only possible by a staff who really takes to heart the saying that the ‘devil is in the details.’ For example, some students connected to our office are eligible for an accommodation of priority registration (PR). In order to properly track the use of this accommodation, Kate must use multiple software interfaces that function independently from one another. Just one overlooked detail can have very significant consequences for a student with this accommodation.” 
  • “Kate is concise and user-friendly in how she instructs people. Kate herself has been a quick, sharp learner, as she easily adopts new software processes and encourages others to make necessary changes.” 
  • “During weekly staff meetings, Kate is always an active contributor to group discussions on issues which affect student engagement. She repeatedly demonstrates in depth knowledge of the issues impacting delivery of services to students with disabilities. The solutions that she formulates are grounded in principles such as student-centered principles and improving efficiencies.”  
  • “The department literally would not run without Kate’s help. She is central to every single function of the department. She works collaboratively and respectfully with each staff in the office, and takes the time to understand the nuances of every staff’s particular work assignments. Kate’s strong work effort is deeply appreciated, and everyone on the team displays a high level of respect for her.”  

Leslie Richards, Cashier 4 for the Bookstore 

Leslie Richards has worked for the Bookstore since September 2008 and is described as someone who excels in interpersonal skills. One person said that Richards “is friendly with everyone she interacts with, from customers to co-workers, and greets each person with a smile.” Richards is said to be a born leader who cares deeply for her team and helps them grow while they work at Clark. She is said to keep her team motivated and excited about their job by playing customer-service Bingo games. It is said that “Leslie is a leader who leads by example, and her team mirrors this quality. She can multi-task like no one else. Just the other day, she was repairing the register, answering a student’s question and assisting a cashier—all while smiling. You never see Leslie not smiling. She is amazing with people.”

Additional comments about Leslie:

  • “Her outgoing, positive personality and caring attitude make us love working with her. She builds strong relationships with her team and approaches all customers with a smile and positive attitude. I am thankful that I get to work with this amazing, hardworking team managed by Leslie.”  
  • “Leslie has also served on hiring committees since she has so much experience in hiring and training staff. Her knowledge and experience are invaluable.” 

Thao Schmidt, Human Resource Consultant 2 for Human Resources 

Thao Schmidt is described as someone who provides a high level of service to the students, staff and supervisors, the community, and co-workers. Throughout her employment with Clark College, Schmidt has built and continues to build relationships, and she demonstrates excellent customer service in her interactions with students, staff and supervisors. She has taken it upon herself to learn the basic front-desk procedures and is often one of the first ones to offer help and to cover breaks and lunches when the front desk is short-staffed. One person said that Schmidt is “dependable and adapts to challenges while maintaining a positive outlook and great customer service.”

Additional comments about Thao: 

  • “In my observation, Thao has an ability to listen to her customers and offer solutions. She is knowledgeable of internal and external resources that can help an employee and communicates in a professional and kind manner.”   
  • “Thao is professional and always willing to help.”  

 Joanne Vaughn, Program Specialist 2 for Financial Aid 

Financial aid is not easy to navigate, and one of Joanne Vaughn’s best qualities is her ability to teach others by breaking down complex rules and processes into more simple and easy-to-follow steps. She is described as someone who “understands differences in learning and communication styles and tailors her own training methods to ensure comprehension. By doing so, she not only helps others learn – she helps them build confidence.”  

Vaughn reviews financial aid applications to award funds, helps balance student accounts, and ensures the college is in compliance for the Pell Grant program. This includes verifying the right amount of funding is going to eligible students, submitting weekly reports to the Department of Education to authorize Pell Grant payments, and helping students resolve eligibility issues. Vaughn is a Pell Grant expert who keeps a complex program operating smoothly.  

Vaughn is also said to demonstrate “genuine care and respect for her colleagues and students and is known to always support her teammates through helping with projects and lending a listening ear when someone is having a rough day.” 

Additional comments about Joanne Vaughn: 

  • “Joanne’s kindness, patience and expertise makes a difference in even the most difficult situations.”   
  • “Although much of her work is technical in nature, Joanne has never lost sight of the impact her work has on students. Joanne has been instrumental in driving changes that have reduced the length of time it takes for students to receive their financial aid awards, and she continues to analyze processes and make recommendations for continuous improvements – all with the student experience at the forefront.”  
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