The university recognized more than 65 employees for their service at the annual Academic & Classified Excellence (ACE) Awards Luncheon on May 28.
The ACE Awards aim to recognize the variety of excellence within the Willamette community, reflect on staff accomplishments, and build enthusiasm for the coming year.
Here’s a look at five of Willamette’s most seasoned employees, who are celebrating their 30th and 25th anniversaries, as well as one employee who reached his 35th anniversary before passing away earlier this year:
35th Anniversaries
Dave Martin, support technician I
Facilities Services
About Martin: In his 35 years at Willamette, Martin made friends in a number of departments before he passed away on Feb. 5, 2015. Known for his dutiful and skilled work in facilities maintenance, Martin is also remembered by colleagues and friends for his positive attitude and guitar skills:
“On campus, Dave was always one person I’d want to stop and talk to. He had a positive attitude. Several times, he came and played guitar for parties at my house. He was an A-1 person.” — Ted Anderson, maintenance supervisor, Physical Plant West
“Dave always had a great disposition and was willing to help in any way. He was a genuinely sweet, kind individual. They don’t come around like him too often. He’s very missed.” — Jim Andersen, grounds manager, Physical Plant Grounds Building
30th Anniversaries
Carol Drost, associate university librarian for technical services
Hatfield Library
About Drost: Drost manages the ordering, receiving, cataloguing and processing of materials purchased by the library. Throughout the day, she works on various computer systems, staffs the reference desk, and acts as a department liaison to the women’s and gender studies program. Drost also oversees the library’s participation in the Federal Library Depository Program, from which the Hatfield receives U.S. government documents published by a variety of federal agencies.
What keeps you at Willamette? “The community. My colleagues are smart, funny, all-round terrific people. I love the ebb and flow of the academic year and seeing students pass through four years of change. I’m exposed to all kinds of interesting ideas on a daily basis, and that’s incredibly stimulating.”
25th Anniversaries
Patricia Alley, associate director and Fulbright Program Advisor
Office for Faculty Research and Resources
About Alley: Alley helps faculty and researchers in their quest to seek grants, awards and fellowships. She has facilitated 11 Oregon Professor of the Year awards and helped obtain grants that established the Lilly Program, the Hallie Ford Museum of Art and Willamette Academy.
What keeps you at Willamette? “The people and the programs. I’m very lucky to work with individuals who want to make something happen in their own lives and in the life of the university. It’s a genuine pleasure and deep satisfaction to be part of something so positive and transformational.”
Ford Schmidt, head of Research Services
Hatfield Library
About Schmidt: Schmidt oversees the purchase and maintenance of journals, electronic databases and videos, which students need to complete their research projects. He also acts as a library liaison to the history and politics departments and Latin American studies and international studies programs, for which he coordinates class material orders.
What keeps you at Willamette? “I enjoy my job. I meet interesting people — students, faculty and staff. And I like the variety of my work, the interactions and helping people with their information needs.”
Joni Roberts, associate university librarian for public services and collection development
Hatfield Library
About Roberts: After working at Hatfield throughout her undergraduate studies at Willamette, Roberts jumped at the opportunity to serve as a reference librarian at her alma mater. In her current position, she manages the library’s public service operations, including reference and access services, library instruction and the liaison program. She’s also responsible for the overall development of the collection.
What keeps you at Willamette? “Willamette is a comfortable, welcoming community. I feel fortunate to have a job where I get to work with people I like and I get to do a variety of different things. I also get to choose books for the collection and encourage people to read — something I’m pretty passionate about.”
Robert Brooks, support technician I
Facilities Services
About Brooks: As part of the team that keeps Willamette’s facilities running, Brooks carries out duties that include everything from setting up event spaces to making repairs. In his 25 years here, Brooks has run the gamut of maintenance requests.
What keeps you at Willamette? “It’s a family atmosphere, and I really like that. Willamette has a sense of community, and I work with people who have the same sense of purpose that I do. Everyone is very cooperative and cordial. It’s just a great place to work.”