Congratulations to Chris Chaffin, Program Support Supervisor, Student Tutoring Services recipient of the 2022 Winter Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award!

Chris Chaffin, Program Support Supervisor, Student Tutoring Services

“Chris takes incredible leadership and pride in his work and it shows in his always welcoming, upbeat, enthusiastic greeting he provides to everyone that comes through the door.” – a staff member

We would also like to acknowledge the contributions of the other nominees.

• Beverly Brosius – Program Specialist, Enrollment Services
• Chris Layfield – Administrative Services Manager, Security and Safety Services
• Jessica Sanders – Program Support Supervisor, Transitional Studies Division
• Lisa Hasart – Procurement & Supply Specialist, Purchasing and Central Services
• Pavel Popov – IT Support Technician, Library
• Phary Cox – Program Specialist, Veteran’s Resource Center
• Stacy Watne – Custodian, Custodial Services

Beverly Brosius – Program Specialist, Enrollment Services

“[Beverly] is the ‘voice’ of the newly created One Stop and there couldn’t have been a more perfect person there to be the first person students encounter when coming onto campus. Bev has the ability to greet a guest or student of Clark with her cheerful hellos and provide an immediate sense of belonging. Alex single handedly supports the entire campus for Canvas. Canvas is our lifeline to the students and Alex keeps us alive.” – a staff member

• Beverly has been a valued Clark College employee since 1998. 
• She ensures that whoever she is assisting gets the right answer. Beverly works with guests and/or students and tracks the answer down, and in many cases, walks with the guest/student to the next department. This shows her dedication to high-quality customer service.
• Beverly does an amazing job communicating with students and provides clear communication, answers, and a friendly attitude to all her college colleagues.

Phary Cox – Program Specialist, Veteran’s Resource Center

“Phary’s strong communication and collaborative skills have served the department well over the last 6 months. Without a director or other long-standing team members she ensured the VRC was upbeat, productive, and efficient. She worked with the VA work student students and kept them productive to ensure our veteran students were not affected by the personnel situation in the VRC. She also reached out to the VA to renew work study student contracts so that the VRC could continue to serve veteran students.” – a staff member

• Phary has been a valued Clark College employee since 2021. 
• During a big staffing transition period in the Veteran’s Resources Center, Phary learned her duties at the college, completed training to assist with her role, and served the VA students and others. She did this all with a friendly and encouraging attitude.
• She is always available to talk with students and staff despite the VRC not always being physically open for walk-ins. She has been committed to clear, timely, and consistent communication to students, providing excellent customer service.

Lisa Hasart – Procurement & Supply Specialist, Purchasing & Central Services

 “Lisa is one of those people working quietly behind the scenes to make things easy for others.” – a faculty member

• Lisa has been a valued Clark College employee since 1989. 
• Lisa is a dedicated, hard-working employee who has spent her time at the college updating processes and forms in purchasing. She has significantly impacted and eased the workload for others at the college.
• Lisa has conducted many trainings at the college and presents sometimes challenging topics with professionalism and patience.

Chris Layfield – Administrative Services Manager, Security and Safety Services

“In addition to Chris’ “regular duties” that require him to work closely with a cross section of the institution on a daily basis, he also serves as the Co-Chief Steward for the WPEA. IN this role, he responds to the needs of his fellow staff members and advocates for their benefit.” – a staff member

• Chris Layfield has been a valued Clark College employee since 2017. 
• Chris came into his role in the Safety and Security Department a few years ago. He realized right away that the paper-heavy department needed some assistance to improve the department’s efficiency. Through his hard work and dedication, Chris was able to update the department’s record-keeping system to digital records. He has also created training to instruct his department staff on the new processes and software.
• Chris shows a strong dedication to the college and often goes beyond his traditional job duties. He has served on various committees across the college, including the Recovery Management Team and Social Equity Advisory Council. He is also an active Union Steward for the WPEA. 

Pavel Popov – IT Support Technician, Libraries

“Pavel Popov has provided outstanding service to the Clark College community for the past 15 years.

As an IT Support Tech 2, he consistently and competently performs his work responsibilities. His subject matter expertise, innovative ideas, and professionalism make the Library website and online system run smoothly and efficiently.” – a staff member

• Pavel has been a valued Clark College employee since 2007. 
• He responds rapidly to any questions, service disruptions, or other requests (even monitoring and responding to things during his off-hours) to ensure our systems are up and running 24/7.
• Pavel’s high level of customer service to the students, public, and community often goes unnoticed outside the Library because his work is performed behind the scenes. However, many of the college’s tools, such as online research resources, impact much of the community.

Jessica Sanders – Program Support Supervisor, Transitional Studies Division

 “Jessica is absolutely wonderful in every way! She’s ALWAYS kind, friendly, respectful, helpful, and competent – whether you’re asking for help or asking a question for the first time or the 50th! She has a wonderfully positive attitude, and is always polite and professional in her emails, always managing to respond very swiftly to emails and other queries.” – a faculty member

• Jessica has been a valued Clark College employee since 2011. 
• Jessica is often the first point of contact for many who reach out to the Transitional Studies Division. She always responds with a positive attitude and remains calm and cool in high-stress and sometimes challenging situations. 
• Jessica possesses the ability to develop creative solutions to solve problems. Gives quality attention to detail while executing projects. She is always ready to help coworkers and every student that comes into the office.
• The Transitional Studies Division works with one of the most diverse student populations, English language learners. Most of the students in this department are adjusting to vast cultural traditions and customs. Jessica always ensures that the students feel supported and often tells them, “I’m glad you’re here” and “You’re going to have a great time at Clark College.”

Stacy Watne – Custodian, Custodial Services

“Over the past two years, Stacy has, at times, been the only person in Gaiser Hall. She has been a friendly face to students and staff. Stacy welcomes everyone she sees, offers support to students when she can. Stacy goes above her custodial duties to be welcoming to students and help connect them to staff in enrollment, cashiering, financial aid and more.” – a staff member

• Stacy has been a valued Clark College employee since 2009. 
• Stacy goes above and beyond her custodial duties and, at times, has been found in Gaiser Hall assisting students and even walking them to the correct department they are searching for.
• Stacy always maintains an optimistic attitude and a friendly smile. This kind gesture creates a welcoming and positive campus community for anyone she crosses paths with at the college.

Congratulations to Damon Grady, Campus Security Sergeant, Security and Safety Services, recipient of the 2021 Spring Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award!  

Damon Grady has been with Clark College’s Security and Safety Department since 1997. He served as a Campus Security Officer for 20 years before being promoted to the sergeant’s rank in January of 2018. Comments about Grady include: 

• “He frequently takes after-hours calls and adjusts his shifts so that his people get the support they need. Managing the schedule for 17 people, half of whom are part-time, to provide 24-hour coverage is a difficult and complicated endeavor.”  
• “Damon has gone beyond his role. When he noticed the decrease in on-campus staff presences, he purposefully expanded his knowledge on all the student-facing services and learned how they work to best support Clark students so he would be prepared to answer students’ questions during the COVID-19 pandemic.”  
• “Damon works closely with his subordinates to ensure they have the training and guidance necessary to be successful in their respective roles.” 
• “Damon responded to a medical call that involved a person with a life-threatening injury. He was quick to respond while properly assessing the situation and keeping those involved safe and calm until EMS arrived.”  

Congratulations as well to the other Spring 2021 nominees: 

• Christy Lewis- Fiscal Technician, Accounting Services 
• Jennifer King- Program Specialist, Financial Aid 
• Jordan De Van- Program Specialist, Enrollment Services 
• Kayla Escott- Program Manager, Financial Aid 
• Malissa Pierce- Program Specialist, Transitional Studies Division 

Christy Lewis 

Christy Lewis is a Fiscal Technician in Accounting Services. Comments from her nomination include: 

• “Christy has served on the ACE Scholarship Committee multiple times, helping to give funds to college members and their families to help make higher education possible.” 
• “When Accounting converted to a new system, Christy kept a positive attitude and learned to work through the bumps and challenges of change.”   
• “Christy works with customers to help them understand their accounting-related issues, no matter who they are or their level of understanding.” 
• “Christy always treats all people with respect and kindness when serving them and working through their request and issues.” 

Jennifer King 

Jennifer King is a Program Specialist in the Office of Financial Aid. Comments from her nomination include:  

• “Jen awards more than 600 students with emergency funds, each term. This spring term, Jen awarded additional funds to students, which means she made 1200 awards. Jen agreed to this overwhelming task in the midst of preparing financial aid packages for fall term—an enormous undertaking. When we have a student who has a significant emergency, Jen works quickly to award that student immediately.”  
• “Jen manages multiple tasks, serves on committees, and prioritizes people first in the work that she does. She leads with kindness and a smile and is always a pleasure to work with.” 
• “Weekly, she commits significant time and energy to meet the emergent needs of students during an uncertain and stressful time.” 

• “Jen’s commitment to creating an effective, efficient program has made a difference to hundreds of student emergency-grant recipients, many of whom report being homeless or at risk of homelessness.” 

Jordan De Van 

Jordan De Van is a Program Specialist in Enrollment Services. Comments from her nomination include: 

• “Jordan has one of the strongest senses of customer service and how it should be demonstrated. She not only responds quickly to inquiries from students and other departments, she responds happily despite her busy workload.”  
• “Jordan is always helpful and understanding when assisting others outside of her department. Instead of rushing through issues that arise with tracking student grades in the database system, she takes the time to investigate, and assists instructors to better prepare them if the issue were to arise again in the future.” 
• “Jordan’s knowledge, expertise and sense of humor always makes working with her a pleasure.” 
• “She assists each individual in a way that they can understand the steps of the process and provides them with direction that helps them along further in the process—all with a smile on her face.” 

Kayla Escott 

Kayla Escott is a Program Manager in the Office of Financial Aid. Comments from her nomination include: 

• “Every task that Kayla approaches is done with the student’s best interest in mind. She goes above and beyond in all aspects of her position, whether that is intentionally meeting one-on-one with the staff she oversees, taking time to schedule an in-depth appointment with a student, or leading numerous project efforts within our office. Every project she tackles is done efficiently and thoroughly in spite of tight deadlines and competing priorities.”  
• “Kayla provides outstanding customer service, both directly and indirectly. She intentionally takes time to meet with students in unique and challenging situations. Beyond this, she ensures that any students who interact with the Financial Aid office receive excellent customer service by equipping front desk staff with effective tools to do so.”   
• “To encourage comradery and team spirit, Kayla initiated a virtual ‘Spirit Week’ for staff to help keep team spirits and communication up while working remotely.” 
• “Kayla has always shown a strong commitment to equity in all aspects of her work. One example is how she recently began working with Disability Support Services to convert all Financial Aid documents to a format that is accessible for students using reader devices. 

Malissa Pierce 

Malissa Pierce is a Program Specialist in Transitional Studies. Comments from her nomination include: 

• “Malissa had grown the Open Doors program within one year from 10 students to almost 40. She is trying to volunteer with the Vancouver School District Truancy Board so she can understand her students’ needs better.”  
• “Malissa actively engages in campus diversity strategies; supports recruitment, retention, completion efforts of students from diverse backgrounds, participates in equitable hiring practices for Transitional Studies department, and Malissa is learning Spanish so she can better support our Spanish-speaking students.”  
• “Malissa is a great communicator and works across multiple departments on campus to make sure that every department has the right information and has the opportunity to discuss with her if they need further clarification.” 
• “Malissa loves working one-on-one with her students. She is constantly reaching out to other departments for assistance in making her students’ college experience as smooth as possible.” 

About the Classified Staff Excellence Award

The Classified Staff Excellence Award was established in 2005 and recognizes classified staff who have demonstrated exemplary work performance, outstanding customer service, a positive and cooperative spirit and special achievements or contributions to the college community. Through the support of the Clark College Foundation, the recipient will receive a $400 cash award.  

Congratulations to Jenny Shadley, Graphic Designer, Communications and Marketing, recipient of the 2021 Winter Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award!

Jenny Shadley “is committed to serving students and demonstrates her passion through her daily work to ensure student voices are amplified.”

Other comments about Shadley:

• “Jenny worked on Guided Pathways from its inception.”
• “She is an active participant at the college in professional development and other committees and brings her holistic approach and her passion for equity to everything she does.”
• “Jenny has redesigned the Get Started landing page for prospective students with the student experience in mind, making it far more functional, user-friendly and attractive for users.”
• “When COVID-19 created scheduling concerns for some of her colleagues, Jenny was the first person to swoop in and offer to tackle projects to help.”

We would also like to acknowledge the contributions of the other nominees:

• Damon Grady – Security Sergeant, Safety & Security
• Darci Feider – Program Coordinator, Student Life

Damon Grady, Security Sergeant, Safety & Security

“As a long-term employee, Damon has watched Clark evolve and always lends a kind ear to those who are confused or frustrated and quite often offers calming insight based upon his experiences at the college.”

Other comments about Grady:

• “Damon has been with Clark College’s Security and Safety Department since November of 1997 and served as a Campus Security Officer for 20 years before being promoted to the Sergeant in January 2018.”
• “Damon’s supervisory position requires him to be available to his staff 24/7 and he often adjust his schedule to best support the needs of others and is recognized as a mentor across the campus.”
• “As a member of the security team, Damon has contact with the entire college community and takes the time to listen in the hopes of understanding the needs and resolution for each person he speaks with.”
• “Damon is aware that each interaction with a student or potential student is important, and he always puts his best foot forward to make sure their initial interaction at Clark College is a positive encounter.”

Darci Feider, Program Coordinator, Student Life

“Darci led and organized the Thanksgiving dinners sent out to 170 students and their families by the Penguin Pantry in November 2020. She is passionate about helping our Clark students and community, in every way she can.”

Other comments about Feider:

• “Darci coordinates dozens of programs and clubs that would not function nearly as smoothly without her, especially during remote operations.”
• “Darci shows up every day ready to work with a smile on her face, no matter what the day may have in store for her.”
• “Darci is kind, compassionate, and takes the time to work through projects with patience and support for others.”
• “Students benefit from Darci’s contributions—whether that is through assistance with the Penguin Pantry, help with Archer Gallery and Clark Art Talks programming, or working with any number of things across campus. She is devoted to making an equitable and accessible community at Clark.”