President Jim Yong Kim and Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Traci Nordberg both spoke at the College’s annual Service Awards Banquet. (photo by Jon Gilbert Fox)
Nearly 400 employees attended Dartmouth’s annual Service Awards Banquet in June to recognize the 492 staff members who have achieved the milestones of 10, 15, 20, 25, and more than 25 years of service. At this event hosted by the Office of Human Resources, Dartmouth President Jim Yong Kim offered his thanks to all who contribute to making Dartmouth run smoothly.
“I want to thank you specifically … [for] all the things you do in the areas of counseling, coaching, academic advising, and health services. All that you have done to support the students outside the classroom, we think that’s incredibly important,“ said Kim. ”We also want to figure out how to be the best that we can possibly be, the best in the United States, at providing those support services.”
Kim also acknowledged the “best cookies on the face of the earth” in Thayer Dining Hall, and the incredible efforts by staff, such as those who work in the residence halls, who make Dartmouth a welcoming place for students. He recognized how the entire Upper Valley community benefits from Dartmouth’s operations, mentioning employees who work at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, the Hood Museum of Art, the library, Safety and Security, and the Norris Cotton Cancer Center.
Lavanway receives Culbert Award
At the banquet, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Traci Nordberg announced the winner of the Sheila Culbert Distinguished Employee Service Award: Ann Lavanway, a research support specialist in the Department of Biological Sciences. The award recognizes a staff member who has made a difference at Dartmouth and demonstrated exemplary work performance and dedication to the institution.
Sheila Culbert Distinguished Employee Service Award winner Ann Lavanway, research support specialist in the Department of Biological Sciences. (photo by Jon Gilbert Fox)
Lavanway started at Dartmouth in 1993 as a technician for the teaching labs in biology, becoming a special instructor a few years later. She briefly worked as a research assistant in the genetics laboratory of Dartmouth Medical School Professor Victor Ambros, and in 2002, she returned to the biological sciences, where she’s been since.
“I enjoy the very diverse nature of my job,” said Lavanway, who lives in Thetford Center, Vt. “I am grateful to the members of the biology department for the encouragement, support, and flexibility they have given me that allows me to do the many disparate tasks that my job entails. I am truly honored to receive the Sheila Culbert Distinguished Employee Service Award.”
Those who nominated Lavanway repeatedly noted her upbeat manner, her willingness to help others, and her superb teaching skills. “I can only hope that I can come back in my next life as smart and effective and organized as Ann Lavanway,” said one colleague.
“The people of Dartmouth have a profound capacity for doing whatever it takes to continually improve this institution. I am impressed by this every day,” said Lavanway.
25-year honorees reminisce
“Whether my days working at Dartmouth involve keeping the community at bay from trying to pet an approaching moose that decided to walk across campus on a Saturday afternoon, launching the safety boat to rescue a person in duress, being there for a community member who is at their lowest, walking well-beaten campus paths at 2 a.m. to make sure everyone gets home safely, working to build over 100 emergency blue-light phones on campus, or teaching women’s self-defense class (RAD-Rape Aggression Defense), I would not trade any of my experiences at Dartmouth. These all mean a great deal to me.”~Rebel Roberts, Crime Prevention Specialist, Sergeant, Safety and Security, 25 years of serviceDuring the construction of Berry Library, Librarian William Fontaine’s desk was on the other side of the blue door in this photo. (photo by William Fontaine)
“When Berry Library was being constructed, there were times when it was a bit noisy in my office. Little wonder, because the workmen with the jackhammer in this photo (in the orange helmet) was sitting right outside the back door of my temporary office (the blue door), which was one of the alcoves of the old Reference Room that is now part of the Current Periodicals Reading Room. If I wanted to sneak out of the back door, I had to remember that the first step was a big one.”~William Fontaine, Reference Bibliographer, Library, 25 years of service
“I went to work in the Athletic Department in 1986 and started in the football office under Coach Buddy Teevens ’79 in the fall of 1987. With a lot of hard work by the players and coaching staff, updates to the facilities and strong alumni support, I was part of three Ivy League Championships in 1990, 1991, and 1992. I hope to see those glory days return to Floren Varsity House this fall.”~Cynthia Falzarano, Administrative Coordinator, Tuck School Development and Alumni Services, 25 years of service
“I started at the Hanover Inn, worked there for three years before moving on to Dartmouth Printing and Mailing Services. When I came to DPMS I never thought that I would see 25 years. I have experienced many changes over the years with this department—all the technology changes and the colleagues that have come and gone. I worked in the print part of the shop for three years then moved into the mailroom where I still enjoy doing my work to its fullest.”~Patricia “Patty” Dyer, Mail Services Technician III, DPMS, 25 years of service
“Working in the arts at Dartmouth has been the most incredibly rewarding experience for me. It provides a guaranteed constant inspiration to strive towards the best in human experience. The arts reflect the highest goals and strongest aspirations of human nature, and so, they help us to keep our humanity intact as we deal with the daily struggles of our working lives. The shared experience of the arts helped me and my colleagues to focus on what is truly meaningful about our working lives so that we have been able to come together for the awesome benefit of the Dartmouth College and wider community.”~Jay Cary, Business Officer, Hopkins Center for the Arts, 25 years of service
Twenty-five year honorees
First row, from left: Rebel Roberts, Liz Roberto, Karen Mongeon, Shirley Barnes, Patricia Dyer, Cindy Falzarano. Second row, from left: Jay Cary, Scott Holmes, Pat Moss. Third row, from left: Joy Weale, Gary Ward, Scott Durkee, Mark Lancaster, Charles Daghlian, Jeff Robbins, Nien Lin Xie. (photo by Jon Gilbert Fox)
Twenty-five year honorees not in attendance: Debra Agnoli, Paula Bugbee, Nancy Fay, Bill Fontaine, Gary Guilbault, Terry Hall, Paul Johnson, Brian Kunz, Patti Moffitt, Donna Smith
Twenty-year honorees
First row, from left: Roland Adams, Vicki Bacon-Husband, Zenghong Chen, Patricia Hunt, Jean Pitts, Sherri Perkins, Sherri Strickland. Second row, from left: Peter Dodge, Steven Edes, Katherine Hart, Wanda Kenison, Brenda Clukey, Cornelia Purcell. Third row, from left: Bruce Dunn, Scott Moses, Barbara Sibun. (photo by Jon Gilbert Fox)
Twenty-year honorees not in attendance: Flora Bruce, Susan Devost, Stephen Glinos, Judith Harjes, Patricia Hedin, Sara Koury, Michael LaMotte, Rebecca Lee, Jane Lemire, Richard Lower, Paul Olsen, Robert Patterson, Laurie Pollard, Connie Prior, Rebecca Rice-Mesec, Sandra Sharp, Robert Slayton, Karen Thompson, Heidi Trask, Laureen Welch
Fifteen-year honorees
First row, from left: Sally Bourdon, Diane Chamberlain, Juan Ortiz, Rhonda Stewart, Angelica Strassberger, Kathy Tefft, Joyce Thurston. Second row, from left: Ann Bunnell, Nancy Allison, Toni Bacon, Krisi Duggan, Gail Hudak, Autumn Evans, Linda Hoover, Beth Tilden. Third row, from left: Cheryl Josler, Colleen Andrasko, Barbara Currier, John Currier, Keith Borgstrom, David Choate, Dave DiBenedetto, Martin Emerson, Carol Kinghorn, Rosemarie Wolfe. Fourth row, from left: Sean Dunten, Bill Riehl. (photo by Jon Gilbert Fox)
Fifteen-year honorees not in attendance: Sandra Adams, William Bean, Jean Blandin, Gerard Bohlen, Douglas Campbell, Sandra Cummings, Susan Davis, Susan Ewell, Myric Fifield, Ronald Girardin, Leah Goat, Bonnie Hafer, Anna-Marie Hammond, Kathleen Hayes, Alejandro Herrera, Christine Hodge, Terri Hollis, Stuart Holmes, Mark Johnson, Susan Johnson, Wess Jolley, Lisa King, Wadeane Kunz, Ann Marie Larese, Brenda Lewis, Daniel Lynch, Marybeth Maloney, Delia Mauceli, Nelson Olmstead, Merilee Perkins, Jennifer Rilling, Patrick Rogers, Nancy Serrell, Martha Smith, Deana Stearns, Marilyn Sturman, Lorraine Turner, Patrice Vidal, Ronald Whitcomb, Kathryn Whittaker, Monica Wilson
Ten-year honorees
Banner holders: Roberta Shin, Nancy Silliman, Kim Tatro-White. First row, from left: Kelly Clark, Diane Hopkins, Pam Misener, Gary McLean, Ann Harvey, Marcia Ingalls, Jane Prescott, Sharon Reed, Dee Roberts. Second row, from left: Don Carmichael, Joseph Cheevers, Effie Cummings, Michael Blake, Pam Dauphinais, Nils Nadeau, Valeri Kozlyuk, Mark Mounts, Richard Pethtel, Richard Reilly. Third row, from left: E.J. Kiefer, Omar Armendariz, John Duggan, Tom Broder, Roy Byington, Barbara Crawford, Lucinda Hall, Rob Johnson, Annette Lepine, Tom McGraw, Chris Vollman. (photo by Jon Gilbert Fox)
Ten-year honorees not in attendance: Jason Angell, Richard Barton, Michael Beaulieu, Angela Beaupre, David Bellows, Barbara Benson, Mark Brocar, Natasha Brown, Marjorie Bruce, Jessie Bunten, Mark Carey, Maria Celaya, Jennifer Chretien, Joseph Clifford, Joanne Coburn, Gerald Collins, Kathleen Corey, Brian Courtemanche, Hillary Davis, Debra Devins, Bradford Dimond, Danada Dinsmore, Maureen Dunham, Heather Earle, Debra Eaton, Deborah Edwards, Marilyn Ewing, Conrad Farnham, Sheila Flanigan, Laura Flint, Bryant Ford, Judith Forman, Daniel Gelb, John Gilman, Monica Godfrey, Kaley Gonzales, Polly Goralski, Mathew Gray, Jim Guay, Nicole Hall Hewett, William Hamblen, Christopher Hamilton, Mary Ann Hankel, William Hankel, Holly Harrison, Sarah Hartwell, Christopher Henderson, Donna Hill, Douglas Hodgdon, Jennifer Holmes, Susan Horrigan, Robert Jodoin, R. Sue Kaufman, Christine Kretowicz, Sherry Kuchma, John Landrigan, George Luhrmann, Sarah Martin, Judy Maynes, Elizabeth McKinstry, Randy Melendy, Catherine Melocik, David Miller, Joan Monahan, Colleen Murphy, Daniel Nassau, Kesaya Noda, Patricia O’Brien, Claudia Palmer, David Peters, Susan Picconi, Sean Plottner, Anthony Poirier, Martin Redman, Sally Redman, Susan Remacle, Leigh Remy, Bruce Riddle, David Rogers, Margaret Russell, Michael Sacca, Scott Savioli, William Scavone, Jennifer Schiffman, Timothy Semple, Diana Shaw, Bruce Smith, Elizabeth Smithies, Reinhart Sonnenburg, William Tibbits, Gregory Timmins, Jocelyn Troy, Daniel Vie, James Wallace, Susan Warner, Susan Wells, James Wheeler, Gregory Wildman, Elizabeth Winslow, Mysti Wolfe, Wendy Wolfe, Kelly Woodward, Joseph Wright, Nora Yasumura, Michael Young