Staff of the Month

July

Daniel Lewis

"We are proud to nominate Daniel for Staff of the Month. During the university’s sesquicentennial year, Daniel has taken on a wide range of responsibilities with energy, empathy, and unwavering dedication. From managing the signature sesquicentennial gala to advocating for early-out Fridays, he continually goes above and beyond. This past month alone, Daniel has helped lead and support several major events, including the CASE Utah conference, a donor golf tournament, and the gala, all while maintaining relationships with the university’s top donors and managing his team. He demonstrates composure under pressure and leads with calm focus and a positive mindset, creating a strong, supportive environment for all of us. Daniel’s leadership, integrity, and commitment to the university and our team make him an outstanding choice for Staff of the Month. Thank you, Daniel!"

Nominated by: Hilary Amoss
 
"Daniel Lewis is an outstanding leader who balances the desires of donors, the policies of the university, the needs of his staff, and the responsibilities of his own family with dedication, care, commitment, and honor . . . uncomplainingly. If I were the president, I would be relieved to have such a creative, responsible leader in my cabinet. If I served in the cabinet with him, I would be thrilled to have such an able and selfless collaborator. If I were a major donor, I would be delighted to have such a caring and genuine person looking out for my best interests. I’m not any of these, but as an employee of his, I am grateful to have such a thoughtful and visionary supervisor. Westminster is fortunate to have him on our staff. I endorse this nomination of Daniel for the Staff of the Month award."

Nominated by: Jeff Driggs

June

Olivia Gregg

"Olivia has been such a joy to work with. She is determined, kind, smart, and always brings a light into the workplace! During Showcase season, she was my saving grace and spent hours with me perfecting the day and making sure everything went smoothly. When I had to step away from the Showcase for a family event, she stepped in and made sure everything went well and did such an amazing job that I didn't worry at all while I was away. Olivia is a true team player and I could not have pulled off the Showcase without her! Olivia does all her work with a smile on her face and makes our work environment so positive and joyful. Westminster is truly lucky to have her on campus!"

Nominated by: Ann Day

"Olivia is one of the most positive, hard working, and organized people I've had the pleasure to work with! She continuously goes above and beyond to support students in the business school, in research, and in community engaged internships. Olivia is always working to enhance and support the very best student experience at Westminster and truly sets up students for success in all of their endeavors. Every day, Olivia makes one feel like any obstacle is doable and that anything is possible, making her such a joy and an inspiration to work with. I am so grateful to work with someone like her that embodies the values of Westminster."

Nominated by: Kelsey Smith

May

Ann Day

"Ann is such a great person to work with! She goes above and beyond to make sure students feel seen and cared for, while still managing to fully organize the Student Showcase, undergraduate summer research, and all the other projects she has! Working with Ann is easy because she's kind, caring, and so dedicated to her work. Ann works tirelessly while also completing her master's degree and never complains about juggling the two, she remains to have a positive attitude no matter what is going on in her busy life!"

Nominated by: Olivia Gregg

April

Laura Iverson-Bastiani

"I am nominating Laura for staff of the month for her amazing work scheduling employee wellness day each fall and spring semesters. Having this day is something many staff and faculty look forward to. It takes a lot of coordination to pull this day off making a full schedule of events and activities for staff and faculty to attend but Laura puts together a full schedule for staff and faculty to enjoy and take this day to focus on their wellness."

Nominated by: Traci Siriprathane

March

Christina Pippas

"Christina is the first person clients receiving services in the Westminster Community Clinic & Training Center (CCTC) talk to or see. Christina consistently supports clients, students, and CCE staff/faculty and considers all needs and viewpoints. Christina has successfully navigated challenging situations by helping to de-escalate crises, find and refer individuals to community resources, and create a welcoming atmosphere in the CCTC. Christina is the first person CCTC supervisors and students go to when they have a need or question. I am 100% positive the CCTC would not function as well without Christina Pippas' talent, warmth, acceptance of all, and consciousness in her professional work."

Nominated by: Anna Lieber

February

Griffin Irish

"Griffin Irish is an indispensable member of the performing arts division, providing exceptional artistic and administrative support across music, theatre, and dance productions. Griffin’s expertise spans a remarkable range of technical and creative domains, from meticulous scene builds that bring directors' visions to life to configuring advanced camera recording setups to capture performances with precision, clarity, and artistry. In addition, Griffin’s skill in sound design ensures every production achieves the highest level of professional quality. Griffin consistently goes above and beyond his role, often anticipating the needs of collaborators and addressing challenges proactively. He volunteers hours to community and passion projects such as supporting lighting for summer endeavors (e.g., Grey Matters – Dance for Parkinson’s and Creative Aging), and he enthusiastically fields wild requests from collaborators – such as the dance program wanting a homemade aeliophone.
 
Beyond technical competence, Griffin embodies the spirit of collaboration and patience, even in the face of a demanding (i.e., relentless) production schedule and high-stress situations. We run him ragged, and he continues to support us tirelessly. Griffin’s ability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances while maintaining a calm and supportive demeanor inspires trust and respect from everyone the works with. Whether mentoring students, training colleagues, collaborating with faculty, or coordinating with production teams, Griffin fosters a positive and productive environment that elevates the entire division. I want to recognize his tireless dedication and exceptional contributions to our community. Thank you, Griffin!"

Nominated by: Meghan Wall

December

Elyse Correa

I’m nominating Elyse Correa for the Staff of the Month recognition. Her exceptional attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond greatly contributed to the success of our recent event. She took on additional responsibilities beyond her regular duties, which allowed me to focus on building connections and engaging with attendees. Her hard work, reliability and dedication are deeply appreciated.

Nominated By: Emmalee Szwedko

November

Matthew Vanderlaan

I would like to nominate Matt for Employee of the Month. Since joining Westminster, Matt has made a fantastic impact by successfully opening the Testing Center for Fall and efficiently organizing its calendar. They bring positive energy to the team and enjoy connecting with faculty, staff, and students.

Matt's thoughtful approach and eagerness to learn are evident in their prompt adoption of new software and participation in training courses. They have also inventoried checkout items and collaborated with library staff to ensure proper distribution to students. Matt has enhanced the testing environment to ensure student comfort and has swiftly taken on the coordination of the Tutoring Program.

While preparing to bring on student staff for additional support, Matt is currently managing operations solo with a cheerful attitude. Their hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed and are greatly appreciated.

Nominated By: Emily McCoy

October

Laura Kendellen

Laura jumped to the rescue late on a Friday afternoon to help with some form issues for Science Saturday Camp. We received a few emails and phone calls from parents who were receiving errors while trying to register their children for camp, and Laura immediately started implementing solutions. Her communications were so helpful in terms of what she could and could not do, as well as what I could share with parents to help them successfully register. This camp requires support from a lot of folks around campus, and I'm really grateful that I can rely on Laura (and Maddy) to help with the website!

Nominated by: Jessica Johnston

August

Shari Duckworth

As a parent of an incoming freshman, Shari was my go-to for all things related to tuition remission, registration, next steps, and other general questions. She was able to provide answers to all my questions, while always making me feel at ease.

Recently, a former parent sent an email expressing frustration about his son’s experience. It’s important to note that at the end of the email he wrote, “Closing on a positive note: Shari Duckworth was amazing with her knowledgeable technical, administrative, and emotional support.” I cannot think of a better way to describe Shari's demeanor.

Additionally, as a member of the University Applications Roundtable, Shari is extremely informed and always has great input.

Shari genuinely cares about student success. She is a true asset to Westminster and deserves to be Staff of the Month.

Nominated by: Sharon Gibbons

July

Conor Bentley

Planning and execution of the Westminster Athletics Golf Tournament. This annual golf tournament continues to raise more money every year to provide scholarship support for our 260+ student-athletes

Nominated by: Grace McEachern

May

Chanté Jiménez

I've known Chanté Jiménez for approximately five years. During this time, she has worked as the Assistant Dean in the School of Education. Over the years I've been very impressed by her professionalism, leadership abilities, and outstanding support for our teacher candidates. Chanté has many qualities that make her an excellent educator and leader, but the quality that stands out clearest is her deep concern for our teacher candidates. She regularly focuses on ways to effectively prepare them for the challenges of today’s classrooms. Chanté really cares about our teachers! For example, she regularly meets with district HR directors to identify the best school placements and mentor teachers for teacher candidates. She not only assigns university supervisors to provide them with ongoing support, but also makes classroom visits herself to provide our teacher candidates with additional encouragement and instructional coaching. Chanté is a true professional in every sense of the word. She is extremely conscientious, ethical, and fair-minded. She has exceptional rapport and works well with district administrators, school personnel, university faculty, and students. She is skillful at addressing difficult issues and clearly articulates the areas of concern in a positive manner and identifies win-win solutions while maintaining high expectations for our teacher candidates.

Nominated By: Lowell Oswald

While I (Kellie Gerbers) don’t have an opportunity to partner with Chanté Jiménez as much as some of my other colleagues on supporting teacher candidates, I can speak to how Chanté supports and serves others a part of our team. Chanté is a relationship-builder. When I spend time with Chanté, I notice that she commits more time asking questions and listening than she does talking about herself—it’s a quality that I strive to emulate! Whoever Chanté is with, they can count on really being heard and having Chanté’s energy and focus on them. It makes a big difference and it's something that I hope we never take for granted in a fellow colleague and educator. Chanté is brilliant and curious and adventurous. She is kind and humble. We are so very lucky to have her as a part of our community, and honestly, it’s a shame that so much of her great work happens behind the scenes where we (me included!) don’t fully get to appreciate or understand how much energy and effort Chanté puts forth in supporting our students and programs. Simply put, Chanté is standout employee and deserves any opportunity we have to recognize and thank her publicly!

Nominated By: Kellie Gerbers

April

Andrea Cornett

Andrea recently coordinated and hosted a group of first generation students from Park City High School to come to the Westminster University campus, and have academic major discussions and discussions about university life and next steps. She was able to bring together other campus partners including the honors college and a campus tour. She utilized her Westminster community and her social connections to share Westminster University with community prospective students. She was able to give a positive experience to these students. On their bus ride back to their school, the students were raving about Westminster.

Nominated By: Madi Anderson

March

Janet Reyes

Janet has been the core of Student Engagement & Belonging since starting at Westminster last fall. Janet has single-handedly supported each student identity program within SEB (AAPI Life, Black Excellence, Disability Justice, Raíces Unidas, and Queer Compass), including each of their socials and programs. Just this month alone, Janet helped AAPI Life with a very successful and meaningful Lunar New Year Celebration and helped get 23 students into the theaters to watch "Bob Marley: One Love" for a Black Excellence program. Janet also helped facilitate the Black Excellence poster instillation in Shaw, featuring six notable Black and African American leaders, poets, activist, and scholars - to help bring awareness of their great accomplishments and impact on the world today. Janet is unbelievable in her ability to foster inclusive spaces for her students and leads with a compassionate heart and grateful mind. We are extremely fortunate to have Janet in our community.

Nominated by: Oliver Anderson and Jessica Irvine

February

Lauren Jones

"You know those meme videos where people ask AI to render an idea and then continue to tell it to "make it more"? Lauren is the "make it more" on my team. If we need a new concept for an admissions brochure or email or social media, I can always count on Lauren to give me plenty of ideas. And from those mountains of creativity and increasingly wild, crazy, and fun ideas, we have been able to mine some really great content for prospective student communications. Some of the most recent examples are a rad collab with a local artist and an incredible story about one of Westminster's amazing student leaders—both of which are major features on print pieces that will land in prospective student mailboxes next month. On top of her creativity and storytelling abilities, Lauren is a go getter. If she has a new project idea or if we need information from someone on campus so we can share it with prospective students, she's putting boots (or, more likely, clogs or sandals or rock-climbing shoes) on the ground to find people and get things moving. And if that isn't enough, Lauren is always involved with something on campus. I'm sure many of you know her or have seen her around. That's why I think Lauren should be staff of the month. The end." 

Nominated by: Braden Thompson 

January 

Britley Ranstadler

"I am nominating Britley not only because she literally exemplifies ALL of Westminster’s core values, but also because of her critical role in our department’s recent conversion from the Colleague Advancement database to the new Blackbaud RE NXT CRM. In the early phases of migration, it was difficult for IS to prioritize the migration with so many projects, so Britley asked if she could upload the data. As the database conversion continued, she oversaw data mapping, implementation, and data testing. As we go live with Blackbaud, Britley continues to be our cheerleader, helping to problem solve, and provide support to our entire team. Of course, she does this while still handling most of the responsibilities she had before the migration. I feel that Britley is a true asset to the University and deserves to be Staff of the Month."

Nominated by: Sharon Gibbons

December

Sarah Lof

"Sarah does so much for Westminster! She critically engaged in her job in the Registrar's Office, ensuring that students' academic records are correct and that their route to, and through, graduation is smooth and accurate, working with a smile every graduation, for hours beyond the typical workday. She also supports the university in other ways, such as coordinating a weekly trivia game for faculty and staff, to keep us interacting and engaged with one another. She previously served on Staff Council for several years. In that capacity she served as the council's treasurer. She kept the financial accounts carefully, and has since been instrumental in helping the council and subsequent officers to understand the university's budgeting system and Staff Council's financial history, even though she has been off the council for a couple of years. Always good natured, always ready to help students or colleagues with questions or problems, Sarah is a great example of the exemplary Westminster staff member." 

Nominated by: Jeff Driggs 

November

Julie Hildebrand

"Julie is an incredible leader. She knows how to trust her people, and that trust inspires us to do our best. She radiates joy and enthusiasm, and easily connects with people. Her joy and enthusiasm only increase as she faces challenges with open-minded curiosity. Julie handles a massive workload, and she doesn't let it get her down. She still has time to troubleshoot and brainstorm with others. She's an incredible person, and we're lucky to have her!" 

Nominated by: Stephanie Pointer 

October

Jessica Lind

"I am nominating Jessica Lind for many reasons, but I will start with the obvious - she keeps all the mail, packages, and other assorted deliveries on campus flowing smoothly and that is a huge task. It is so important to every office, academic department, and student resident to receive these items and Jessica's skillful professionalism make it all possible. Jessica is frequently asked to make major changes in delivery details with a moment's notice, and always does so with positivity and accuracy. The team she trains and manages is a diverse group of students who do their job well and are appreciated by faculty and staff alike. Jessica provides such a vital service for the whole campus, and does it so well that I think many folks on campus don't even realize what happens behind the scenes and what an incredibly organized, dedicated, and knowledgeable resource she is for the University. Thank you Jessica, for all you do and for the incredible team you manage!" 

April

Mike Harris

“Over the past year, Mike has been one of my most dependable and hard-working employees. He has routinely volunteered to cover shifts (since we are down an officer), and has come in early to relieve other officers. Specifically, I am nominating him for his actions during this last month. We have had a few vehicle burglaries in our lots and I have asked our graveyard officers to patrol the lots a little more often than usual. I have routinely seen on our cameras, Mike in the lots for hours upon hours patrolling them during the middle of the night. Last week, around 5 am Mike was in the office doing paperwork and watching the cameras at the same time. He noticed a unknown male enter the underground parking lot attempting to enter unlocked vehicle doors. Mike recognized him from prior thefts and quickly responded to the area. He arrived and quickly located the male suspect. He announced his presence which scared the suspect off. He did not get into a confrontation with the suspect, which is our policy, but he still thwarted the suspect from entering or stealing anything from our parked vehicles. For these reasons, I am nominating Mike for employee of the month.” 

Nominated by: Tony Russell 

March

Mary Edmonds

 “Mary has recently taken residence in Student Affairs and is doing the challenging job of care, outreach, Title IX and conduct with our students. This job is at the heart of student development. Mary has brought expertise, grace, and wisdom to an extremely difficult position. A typical day might include 2 conduct meetings, an intervention with a student in crises, and a visit to a hospital with a student who has been sexually assaulted.  
Mary has taken these challenges head on and our students have benefited from her skill, compassion, and knowledge. 
 I recommend Mary for this honor with all confidence that she deserves this recognition and so much more.”

Nominated by: Glenn Smith 
  
“There’s not enough room to list everything needed here, but Mary has gone above and beyond for our students countless times this entire semester, but particularly in February.  
Not only is she balancing multiple roles, but the nature of her work often leads to long days and nights, putting students first, and doing so while navigating nuanced and complex situations. Not only has Mary supported our students completely selflessly, but has also supported her coworkers simultaneously. Mary truly deserves staff of the year, for the seemingly never ending work which requires so much care and patience. We are so lucky to have Mary, her experience, and her expertise at Westminster and in the Dean of Student’s office.”

Nominated by: Ian Troost 
  
“During her time as Title IX Coordinator, Mary has significantly increased the visibility of the Title IX support services at Westminster while maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of students who contact the office for support. This has been possible because of the warmth and care Mary extends to students who are in crisis. In some cases this also includes supporting students' families. The very nature of Mary's work is to meet students in crisis.  
As Director of Student Care and Conduct, Mary works with students who find themselves at a crossroads of their own personal development and their impact on the community of which they are a member. At this intersection the student must examine their choices, how they contribute to community, and set a path for positive change. Mary helps them consider these things while prioritizing the dignity of all involved. The work takes heart and smarts. Mary has it in spades.”

Nominated by: Jessica Brazell-Brayboy 
  
“Mary Edmonds has truly gone above and beyond for our students and community. The month of February may be the shortest month in the year, but I doubt it felt like it for Mary. I witnessed first hand the back-to-back student emergencies and concerns from faculty/staff that stacked Mary's workdays. Most of which involved early mornings and extended evenings for Mary (including weekends). However, Mary didn't just put in the hours. She put in the deep care and compassion needed to support students in some of their darkest and most difficult moments. Mary handled a range of student situations with pose and intentionality. I don't think our community fully understands how unbelievably fortunate we are to have Mary with us. Mary's skill set, wealth of knowledge, and commitment to our students honestly makes our student lives better here at Westminster and we own her so much gratitude and appreciation. Mary, thank you. I can't imagine how our community would attempt to thrive without you here with us. Thank you for giving the community your time, energy, and compassion. I see you!”

Nominated by: Oliver Anderson 
  
“Mary was faced with a difficult Student-Athlete conduct situation this month. She handled the situation professionally and with grace. She is a sharp leader with great communication skills and a kind heart. As a new employee, and somebody who typically only works with athletics staff members, I am constantly meeting new personnel. Mary helped me feel welcomed and supported.”

Nominated by: Jannel Snow 

February

Britany Hansen

"The McNair Director position has been open for a few months. During that time, Britany has stepped up and provided exceptional support for our McNair students and the program. Britany is so obviously committed to our program (the only one in the state!) and its students. She worked hard to ensure that the most recent report had accurate and up-to-date information and played a key role in the search process to hire the new director (who starts soon - yay!)."

Nominated by: Debbie Tahmassebi