OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD WINNER
JEAN GOOD
Each year, UVa’s College at Wise recognizes a classified employee whose service, contributions and commitment to the College and/or the Commonwealth of Virginia have far exceeded even exemplary achievement. The recipient is chosen by a committee appointed by Chancellor Prior. This year’s recipient is Jean Good.
Jean oversees the campus post office and is responsible for telecommunications and the Supply Room office supplies contract. She currently serves as the president for the College and University Mail Services Association and is a member of the UVa Wise Staff Council. However, her commitment to the community doesn’t end there. Jean is also a volunteer for Relay for Life, the Keep Virginia Clean Campaign, PAWS, the Pet Smart Ink Return Charity, Cell Phones for Soldiers and collects food for the Dickenson County Food Bank.
One of the things Jean is best known for is the relationships she forms with the students. One of her endorsers, David Amos, states that “One of my earliest memories of Jean is that she put a ‘You’ve Got Mail’ card in my mailbox. These are cards that she puts in students’ mailboxes in the event that she overhears somebody complaining that they don’t get any mail”. Her supervisor, Joe Kiser, explained that she “recently completed something she referred to as Random Acts of Kindness. She purchased candy items and attached words of encouragement for the students and placed them in their campus boxes”.
Jean was nominated by Michael Donathan, who considers her a “consummate professional”. In his nomination, he states that “It is not unusual on any given day of the year to find the campus post office brimming with conversations about such diverse topics as international politics, intercollegiate athletics, political campaigns, student social concerns, gardening, the state of the economy and numerous other issues. The campus post office is indeed a ‘center for the liberal arts’”.
Each day, Jean handles an increasing amount of mail with only a small staff to assist her. She does this in a very professional manner, and without complaint. Her supervisor concluded his endorsement of her by stating that “Jean is always willing to assist the College in any way she can and that is why it is an honor and privilege to have this opportunity to endorse Jean Good as an Outstanding Contributor”.
Also nominated for the Outstanding Contribution Award were John Reeves, Francene Meade, and Brenda Whitaker.
John, who serves as Director of Facilities Management, is described as “a person of multiple talents and is truly a Renaissance man”. John is known on campus for his sense of humor and quick wit, but many may not know that he is also a talented musician, singer, and writer. His supervisor, Gary Juhan, states that “simply by his presence in meetings and interactions throughout the day, he serves as an inspiring and uplifting example for all with whom he comes into contact”.
John’s dedication to the College is clear. Dr. Juhan relays two recent examples. “When the roofing of Cantrell Hall was destroyed on a Sunday morning, John was quickly on the scene to assess the damage and begin implementing an action plan for repair”. Also, “the College recently lost power on a Friday night. John eventually worked for more than twenty four straight hours to get the campus back to normal operation. Many times throughout each year John responds to incidents on weekends or late at night when most of us are at home”.
Ray Spenilla closes his endorsement of John by saying that “whether or not John will be the outstanding recipient this year or not, you can rest assured he will be outstanding somewhere on our campus making life a little better for those who cross his path”.
Francene Meade, who is the Human Resource Analyst for the College, has assisted every employee on the campus at one time or another, typically with issues concerning benefits and payroll. However, as Sim Ewing states, “her involvement with faculty and staff goes much deeper. Her caring nature finds her in her office hours past closing due to her listening to problems being faced by employees, both job related and not”.
Employees of the College know they can trust Francene. Her supervisor states that “no concern is too big or too small for her because she truly cares about each employee and wants to help them in any way she can, even if that means completely rearranging her schedule for the day or staying late”. After the Director of Human Resources left last year, Francene took on many of her duties, all the while maintaining the already vigorous demands of her own normal workload. In his endorsement of her nomination, Mr. Ewing states that Francene “helped insure that the time without a Director of Human Resources would be one of continued progress for the College. Her knowledge of state and University regulations and her relationships with the University have allowed us to continue and progress”.
In closing her nomination, Stephanie Perry stated that “Francene is one of the most hard-working individuals I have ever had the pleasure of working with—I am amazed at the things she is able to accomplish and the tasks she juggles, all with patience and a smile. She consistently displays the attributes that make UVa-Wise an outstanding place to work”.
Brenda Whitaker, administrative assistant to the departments of science and visual and performing arts, was nominated by her supervisor, Kevin Jansen, who said of Brenda “I believe that she represents exactly what we intend our students to become in life—an outstanding citizen. Ms. Whitaker is thoughtful, open-minded, and demonstrates a job for learning that should be the envy of all our graduates”. Brenda has worked for the College for 39 years, and has seen many changes in her role over the years. She has approached these changes and challenges with enthusiasm. “She is incapable of seeing life in a negative way…she takes every opportunity to make individual departments, the College, and our community a better place to live and work”.
Michael McNulty, who endorsed Brenda’s nomination, stated that “Brenda’s efficiency and organization enable her to do so much more than is regularly expected of her. The College has an incredible resource in her work ethic and dedication”. He further states that “Brenda’s contribution is not singular. It is not occasional. Her outstanding contribution is made a hundred times a day, in a hundred different ways that go largely unseen and unacknowledged. Her deeds do not announce themselves. She works through small gestures of grace rendered in humility”.
Brenda is known for her relationships with students, as well as with the faculty and staff of the College. Dr. Jansen states that “Brenda is not just our secretary; she is a leader, counselor, friend, and above all, a curious intellectual person”. In addition, “the respect and compassion with which Brenda treats our students is enviable. In her mind, each one is potentially the most important individual on campus”.
The Outstanding Contribution Award committee had no easy task in choosing a recipient. Each nominee possesses a unique set of qualities that make him/her worthy of this award. They should all be commended for their contributions to the College and the community.
