Congratulations to Jeri Kemmer, recipient of the 2015 Winter Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award!

Jeri Kemmer is the BEECH Unit Operations Supervisor and has been with Clark College for 19 years.

The following comment from one of her Secretary Seniors best summarizes Jeri’s exemplary work performance: “Jeri really does go above and beyond when it comes to working at Clark College. She doesn’t just do her job. She is constantly exploring ways to make everyone’s job easier and she’s been instrumental in many changes that have happened within our unit and across campus. She won’t simply accept the status quo. If there is a problem, she wants to find a solution that benefits everybody.”

Jeri has served on numerous committees at Clark and has attended over 300 hours of professional development training in order to benefit herself, her job, and everyone at Clark. One office assistant wrote, “Jeri’s work ethics are exemplary and she always has Clark’s best interest in mind.  She makes all of us better employees. I love working with her.”

The College Community will celebrate all 2014-2015 nominees and recipients at the Annual Ice Cream Social held in September.

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. Thanks to the support of the Clark College Foundation, each quarter’s recipient receives a $400 cash award.

Other nominees for this quarter, with quotes from their nominations, were:

Karmel Baldwin, Secretary Senior, STEM

“Karmel shows excellence in work performance by staying on top of her work, completing assignments on time, and keeping paperwork organized, tracked, and moving through the system. Karmel strives to be the best at what she does, no matter where she is stationed. She has taken on significantly large workloads, supporting very large departments. She tracks budgets, paperwork, email, forms, new hires, evaluations, faculty and an enormous number of students; all with an upbeat attitude and a smile. Karmel is always quick to offer her services, no matter what.”

Ernie Hasfo, Custodian 1, Facilities Services

“For 20 years Ernie has served as a custodian for Clark College. Over the years, he has taken on the tasks of window washer, hard floor specialist, and temp lead in addition to his regular custodial tasks. His co-workers can depend on him to be a team player and his positive and helpful attitude allow him to go the extra mile without being asked or complaining. Ernie is dedicated to outstanding service and excellence. Ernie is a good worker and supporter of the college. He cares about how his areas look and how he can improve the college.”

Carmen Roman, Program Specialist 2, Advising

“Carmen’s work performance is beyond exemplary and her work ethic is excellent. She is always prompt to meet with a student, and is mindful of their time. She provides concise and clear information that ensures students understand their pathways and goals. The information Carmen provides to students, faculty and staff is timely and accurate. She has an unmatched and unique ability to adjust to all modes and levels of communication. Carmen makes you feel comfortable with the entire student experience by her ability and manner of speaking and the respect given to her clients.”

Tia Schmidt, Administrative Assistant 3, Nursing

“When urgent and unexpected events occur, Tia has responded with creativity and unexpected solutions. She has often been the voice of reason and many times has been able to offer new perspectives, which have been invaluable when making hiring decisions. Tia is very considerate of new employees and goes out of her way to make them feel welcome. She goes above and beyond with her organization, attention to details, explanations of college systems and in sharing her experiences. Tia leads by example, exhibiting professionalism with coworkers and is available to all her colleagues with an open door.”

Heather White

Congratulations to Heather White, recipient of the 2014 Fall Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award! The following is taken from her award nomination:

Heather White is the Program Support Supervisor for Disability Support Services. She has been with the college since 2002.

Heather provides a tremendous service to the community by facilitating communication between hearing and deaf consumers. Heather interprets and provides accessibility for campus events professionally and holds herself to the high standards of skill that she expects from all of her interpreters. Her performance in her work is the very definition of “excellence.”

Heather always has a great attitude. She is compassionate to everyone who comes in seeking help. She takes the time to know the specific needs of the deaf students and the interpreters, and matches the student’s needs with the interpreter’s strengths. What is important to the student is important to Heather.

Heather works to improve our community in many ways. She is involved with the Sign Language Interpreter Program Advisory Committee at Portland Community College and is on the Washington School for the Deaf Post High School Advisory Committee as well as the State Deaf Transfer Fair Local Advisory Committee. She is also on the Commencement committee and provides the interpretation at Commencement to make it accessible to deaf students, faculty, staff and audience members. She has taken on the role of placing interpreters for Washington State University Vancouver and Lower Columbia College.

Heather is a wonderful person to work with and for. Whether someone is a new or veteran interpreter, she makes sure we all feel respected and supported. She always listens actively and attentively and looks at each person as an individual.

Congratulations to all of the fall quarter nominees:

Vanessa Meyer: Vanessa is doing a great job in the department. She pays attention to details and maintains the office and its immediate environment, including the mailroom, elegantly. Vanessa is cheerful, polite and shows courtesy to the faculty. When help is needed, she takes prompt action. Her messages are clear and precise. Everything she does is orderly.
Susan Taylor: Susan is in charge of all admissions at Clark International Programs and she always manages to get everything in order to perfection. She wants to help every person she comes in contact with. Whether it is a student or a co-worker or someone outside of our campus, she is willing to take all the time needed to make you feel comfortable and confident. Susan respects everyone. She is always the bigger person and is always polite, no matter what the situation.
Thor Tesdale: Thor works tirelessly to maintain the interior and exterior appearance of the college. He takes great pride in his work and makes sure the job is completed to satisfaction and on time. Thor prioritizes jobs so that the most pressing deadlines are met first. He is very personable and is willing to “bend” his schedule as much as possible to accommodate the needs of other individuals. Thor’s calm and respectful personality is a beneficial addition to Facilities Services. The personal thank-you notes he has received are additional evidence of his high level of service.

The College Community will celebrate all 2014-2015 nominees and recipients at the Annual Ice Cream Social.

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. Thanks to the support of the Clark College Foundation, each quarter’s recipient receives a $400 cash award.

Melissa Williams receives her Exceptional Classified Staff Award during Opening Day 2014.

Opening Day is traditionally the occasion for announcing the yearly Exceptional Classified Staff Awards, which recognize two classified employees for their contributions to Clark College. Recipients receive a glass plaque and $1,000, funded through an anonymous donor’s contributions to the Clark College Foundation.

For their “exemplary work performance, outstanding service to the college, a positive and cooperative spirit, and/or special achievements or contributions to the college,” Enrollment Services Program Coordinator Melissa Williams and Facilities Services Custodian Derald Richards were named the winners of the 2014-2015 Clark College Exceptional Classified Staff Awards.

President Knight presents Derald Richards with his Classified Excellence Award.

Derald Richards, Custodian

Derald Richards was described in his nomination as “consistently performing at a level above and beyond the scope of his job.”

While Richards is naturally a quiet and retiring person, those who work with him regularly at Clark College at Columbia Tech Center have learned to value his cheerful attitude, helpful suggestions, and the way he takes pride in everything that is asked of him. One nominator wrote, “He will drop whatever he is doing to assist staff, faculty, or students. No matter how busy he is, he always greets everyone with a smile and never a complaint.”

Another coworker summed Richards up with just two words: “Super Wonderful!!!”

President Knight presents Melissa Williams with her Exceptional Classified Staff Award.

Melissa Williams, Enrollment Services Program Coordinator

Whether they know it or not, probably every student who registers for classes at Clark has been supported in some way or another by Melissa Williams. Her nomination states that she “consistently goes far beyond what is expected of her job title to see that students, faculty, college staff, and the community get what they need. She earnestly engages in students’ experiences at Clark and has helped to create an environment of focused customer service, communication, and teamwork. Her communication skills have been instrumental in explaining policies and procedures, assisting new staff, keeping her coworkers in the loop when changes occur, and keeping everyone up to date on a daily basis. Her approach, keeping students as the forefront of what we do, has improved and enhanced Clark College’s ability to meet the changing needs of our student population. … In truth, she is the very definition of an exemplary employee.”

Other nominees for 2014-2015 were:  Scott Coffie, eLearning, Information Technology Specialist 4; Rose Gardner, Administrative Services, Office Assistant 3; Silvia Marinova, Business Technology, Instruction & Classroom Support Technician 2; Vanessa Meyer, Behavioral & Social Sciences, Secretary Senior; Lynn Vanhoomissen, Security & Safety, Program Support Supervisor 1; Jennifer Vernon, Early Childhood Education, Program Specialist 3; and Heather White, Disability Support Services, Program Support Services Supervisor 2.

The Clark College Foundation instituted the yearly Excpetional Classified Staff and quarterly Classified Staff Excellence awards in 1997 to recognize exceptional staff members. Nominations may be submitted by classified, administrative and exempt staff; faculty; students; alumni; retirees; college trustees; and Foundation directors.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Clark College Libraries Acquisitions Specialist Sally Demos

Congratulations to Sally Demos, recipient of the 2014 Spring Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award!

Sally Demos has provided excellent service to the Clark College Community for the past 29 years. She currently holds the position of Acquisitions Specialist for the Clark College Library. A current member in the Shared Integrated Library, she has also served on the Clark College Foundation Employee Campaign Committee, is a convener for the Library of the Future Committee, a member of the library’s Floor Plan Work Group, and the Classified Staff Representative for the Library Leadership Team.

Sally frequently goes above and beyond her basic job responsibilities, displaying her earnest work ethic and commitment to the Clark College Mission. She has been described by her colleagues as “the epitome of efficiency,” and her supervisor states that Sally is “thorough, organized and succinct, meeting all deadlines and is often early in finishing her work.”

Sally exemplifies lifelong learning by participating in many staff and professional development training opportunities. Her excellent communication skills and wealth of information is a great asset to Clark College, its students, and staff.

Congratulations to all of the spring quarter nominees:

Kate Cascio: Kate has been an exemplary program assistant. She has brought a new level of professionalism to the office. Her ability to work individually to accomplish projects is outstanding. She is quick to take on several additional special projects and duties above and beyond her required assignments. Kate exceeds what is expected of her in all areas of her work.

Vanessa Meyer: Vanessa is doing an excellent job! She is supremely competent. She is organized and handles her responsibilities quickly and efficiently, assuring faculty members do not miss anything that is required. She is not just always pleasant and polite, but always in a good mood.

Brendan Pust: Brendan provides excellent customer service and does everything he can to help. He goes above and beyond each day to provide the best support for students and staff. Brendan never leaves any employee behind. He does his very best to train his employees to provide quality support for students. He has a positive and professional attitude.

Derald Richards: Derald consistently performs at a level above and beyond the scope of his job. Derald is very professional and courteous with his co-workers, students and the general public. Derald is continually looking for ways to complete a task more efficiently. He has been quick to submit ideas and solutions on various issues and will then take the lead on certain projects.

Denise Rotellini: Denise is all about quality work, continuous improvement, and excellent customer service. She does an exceptionally thorough job of managing departmental documents, libraries, and processes. Denise’s knowledge of the college structure, policy and procedures is exemplary. She is always willing to help solve a problem, figure out an answer, or provide support. Denise is always looking for a way to make everyone’s job easier and more efficient.

Billie Trimbo: Billie has a certain flair for bringing out the creative and empathetic qualities in others around her. She has been available to us when we needed information, and helpful in problem solving to get the job done. She always goes above and beyond in her work for our department! Billie is spontaneous with her friendship to her coworkers and friends.

Heather White: Heather’s performance is the very definition of “excellence.” Heather regularly checks in with other coworkers to see how she can help them. She is friendly and helpful to everyone that comes into our office. She works with the office to provide the best possible service to students. She is clear and concise and speaks to people kindly and considerately. She always listens actively and looks at each person as an individual. Heather has the utmost respect for fellow workers and students.

The College Community will celebrate all 2013-2014 nominees and recipients at the Annual Ice Cream Social held in September.

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. Thanks to the support of the Clark College Foundation, each quarter’s recipient receives a $400 cash award.

Karen Ferguson submitted this article. Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Congratulations to Janice Taylor, recipient of the 2014 Winter Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award!

Tutoring and Writing Center Program Manager Janice Taylor

Janice is the Program Manager for the Tutoring and Writing Center. She started working in the center as a part-time work study student in 2006; was later hired on as a full-time Program Assistant, and recently promoted to Program Manager. Her nominators describe her as a “model of organization and efficiency, regularly doing the work of several people in a single day.”

“Janice is constantly initiating new projects to better our department,” continues her nomination. “She is widely known for the respect she shows to her fellow workers and students, and her vigilance about maintaining a positive and professional environment in the tutoring centers. She figures out solutions to complex problems and finds ways of using limited resources more effectively and efficiently.”

One employee sums it up by saying, “Janice is truly amazing and a huge asset to Clark College!”

Congratulations to all of the winter quarter nominees:

Sally Demos “Sally has provided excellent service to the Clark College community for the past 29 years. She frequently goes above and beyond her basic job responsibilities because of her work ethic and belief and support of the mission of Clark College. She is an excellent communicator and possesses a wealth of knowledge that has positioned her as the go-to person regarding campus culture and the history of the college.”
Joanne Emel “Joanne is always positive and friendly. She responds with an upbeat tone and helpful attitude, and solves problems quickly and to my satisfaction. She makes my job easier by being excellent at her job.”
Darci Feider “Darci is very organized and on top of her work. She resolves issues graciously, and takes care of questions and concerns right away. Darci gets along well with her co-workers and is pleasant and professional. She reflects great customer service for the Purchasing Department.”
Vanessa Meyer “Vanessa is friendly and helpful. She remembers the needs of faculty members and retains a positive attitude, regardless of the request. She maintains the documents, keys and workspace well.” 
Derald Richards “Derald consistently performs at a level above and beyond the scope of his job. He is quick to submit ideas and solutions, and will take the lead on projects. Derald can be counted on to deliver and complete a task, no matter how difficult.” 
Sarah Thorsen “Sarah does anything and everything she can for our department. She goes out of her way to take care of the students and faculty, and she does so with a smile. Sarah is extremely intelligent and will gladly share advice for how to handle difficult situations, based on her extensive experience teaching special needs students.”

The College Community will celebrate all 2013-2014 nominees and recipients at the Annual Ice Cream Social held in September.

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. Thanks to the support of the Clark College Foundation, each quarter’s recipient receives a $400 cash award.

Karen Ferguson submitted this article. Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Associate Vice President of Human Resources Darcy Rourk, left, congratulates Advising Office Assistant Jessica Bateman on winning the fall 2013 award for Classified Staff.

Associate Vice President of Human Resources Darcy Rourk, left, congratulates Advising Office Assistant Jessica Bateman on winning the fall 2013 award for Classified Staff.Congratulations to Advising Office Assistant Jessica Bateman, recipient of the Fall Quarter 2013 Classified Staff Excellence Award.

“Jessica always strives to meet the needs of the public, community, and co-workers with her high level of service,” a nominator wrote. “She has built relationships with vocational counselors whose clients often have short timelines for completion of programs, and they count on her when they need assistance or to connect with an advisor. When working with the public, she will always ask additional questions, ensuring that people leave with everything they need so that they don’t have to return or call for something she could have helped with.”

Congratulations to all of the Fall Quarter 2013 nominees:

Vicki Cheng “Vicki has been a Clark employee for 31 years and her reputation reflects her dedication to students, faculty and staff at Clark College. She is a tremendous asset to Clark College in so many different ways in her various roles, and she handles it all with a calm intelligence and a great sense of humor.”
Joy Horning “Joy distributed additional desk copies of textbooks to the faculty and consistently reminded us of documents that needed to be submitted. She is helpful, knowledgeable in her subject area and pleasant to work with.”
Rebecca Kleiva “Rebecca provides outstanding customer service. Her knowledge and eagerness to learn things that are outside of her normal job responsibilities help to ensure that the customer service that she provides to the public, community and co-workers is top-notch.”
Susan Muir “Susan has provided streamlined processes and efficiencies in all of the major projects with which I have been involved with her. I have come to rely on Susan in many areas of work and I know she has consistently provided behind the scenes organization in many projects and events. If it is running smoothly, Susan has had her hand in it.”
Derald Richards “Derald’s overall job performance at CTC is reliable, excellent and noteworthy. He constantly has a cheerful attitude, and can be counted on to deliver and complete the task no matter how difficult. One of Derald’s coworkers describes him as ‘super wonderful!!’”
Michael Shingle “Mike works collectively with other units in Student Affairs to better serve students and provide information that may go beyond the scope of the Advising Office. When he can, he will go above and beyond by facilitating the connection between student and campus resources/referrals. His positive spirit and go-getter attitude has been a contagious asset that is seen and heard across Student Affairs.”
Sarah Weinberger “Sarah is constantly going above and beyond in her work in the Career Services office. This is evidenced by her ability to balance a variety of tasks on a daily basis. Her creativity is apparent in everything from developing a social media plan for the Career Services office, executing marketing efforts for events, and planning career and job fairs on campus.”

The College Community will formally recognize all 2013-2014 nominees and recipients at the Annual Ice Cream Social.

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. Thanks to the support of the Clark College Foundation, each quarter’s recipient receives a $400 cash award.

Karen Ferguson submitted this article. Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Joe Jenkins basks in his colleagues’ applause as he receives his Exceptional Classified Staff Award.

Opening Day is traditionally the occasion for announcing the yearly Exceptional Classified Staff Awards, which recognize two classified employees for their contributions to Clark College. Recipients receive a glass plaque and $1,000, funded through an anonymous donor’s contributions to the Clark College Foundation.

The 2013 Exceptional Classified Staff Award winners were:

Joe Jenkins

Joe Jenkins, Academic Advisor

Joe Jenkins was described in his nomination as having a relatable sense of humor and high energy that keeps students engaged and aware. “He helps others think outside of the box and communicates in an easy, friendly manner,” the nomination read. “He is active in identifying student needs, and has advocated for greater course offerings so students can complete their degree requirements in a timely manner. His expertise and knowledge has led to increased student retention and engagement.”

Jennifer Wheeler

Jennifer Wheeler, Information Technology Services

In her nomination, Jennifer Wheeler was described as “one of the most diligent, collaborative and consistent members of the college community.

“She is delightful, professional, personable and respectful of the diverse individuals who work and go to school here,” the nomination comments continued. “She takes pride in her work, but more importantly in the effect it has on the success of the entire college. She is always upbeat and exemplifies a can-do spirit for Clark College.”

Every year, as a token of gratitude for their hard work, Exempt staff members don aprons–and occasionally funny hats as well–to serve ice cream sundaes to the college’s Classified staff. This year the event took place under gray but dry skies on September 4. It was also the occasion to announce the recipient of the 2013 summer quarter Exceptional Classified Staff Award, WorkFirst Program Coordinator Gayle Lee.

Credentials staff members Rhianna Derscheid and Nicole Hopkins enjoy some well-deserved treats.

Staff from the Diversity Center enjoy their sundaes.

Clark College President Bob Knight and Dean of Library Services, E-Learning, Tutoring & Faculty Development Michelle Bagley take a break from scooping ice cream to say, “We love our Classified staff!”

Left to right, Director of Information Services Phil Sheehan, Vice President of Student Affairs Bill Belden, Vice President of Instruction Tim Cook, Dean of Workforce, Career & Technical Education Genevieve Howard, Associate Vice President of Corporate & Continuing Education Kevin Kussman, and Dean of STEM Peter Williams served up sundaes with a smile.

Foundation staff members Tajsha Carlson, Krista Longfellow, and Rowena Tchao wait in line for sundaes.

Director of Academic Services Dedra Daehn, Executive Assistant to the President Leigh Kent, and Dean of Developmental Education, English, Communications & Humanities Ray Korpi go bananas for our Classified staff.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Congratulations to Tim Pliska, the Spring Quarter 2013 Classified Staff Excellence Award recipient!

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