By Kimberly Swick Slover
Two-hundred-seventy staff members were honored at the Service Awards Banquet on June 17 for their combined service of more than 4,765 years to Dartmouth.
President Phil Hanlon ’77 presents the 2014 Sheila Culbert Distinguished Employee Award to Linda Martin. She has served as administrative assistant for the Geisel School of Medicine’s Office of Student Affairs for 26 years. (Photo by Eli Burakian ’00 )
Hosted by the Office of Human Resources, the annual event recognizes staff members who have worked at the College for 10 to more than 45 consecutive years. This year’s festivities included a reception, dinner, music, and a ceremony at Leverone Field House.
A highlight of the night was the presentation of the 2014 Sheila Culbert Distinguished Employee Award to Linda Martin, who has served as administrative assistant for the Geisel School of Medicine’s Office of Student Affairs for 26 years. President Phil Hanlon ’77 said Martin stood out for her commitment to her students and colleagues.
“Described by many first-year students as their surrogate mom away from home, Linda is often the first face students see when they visit the advising office,” President Hanlon said. “They seek out her wisdom, knowledge of resources, and her willingness to make connections for them. Not only has Linda improved student well-being through helping them with their academic pursuits, she encourages them to take a step back and enjoy life beyond Geisel—whether through her lending library of popular paperbacks or by helping create a fourth-year creativity elective that encourages students to pursue interests and passions that may not be directly related to medicine.”
Hanlon cited the award recommendation of Martin by her supervisor, Joseph F. O’Donnell, senior advising dean and professor of medicine and psychiatry, who wrote that Martin went beyond her daily tasks to create and coordinate office initiatives and help build local, regional, and global service opportunities, and connect students with those programs.
“Linda is more of a partner than an assistant, and she multiplies my efforts far beyond what I could ever do on my own,” O’Donnell wrote. “She helps us believe that we can create a better world. By her every action, she helps us see the possibilities.”
Martin, who received a standing ovation, later said she felt both honored to receive the award and fortunate for the opportunity to get to know more than 2,000 medical students and many faculty and staff members in her years at Geisel. “I have been blessed to work with wonderful, caring people whose common mission is to educate talented young people and help them become fine physicians,” Martin said.
Established in 2008, the Culbert Award recognizes a Dartmouth staff member for exemplary work performance, unwavering commitment to Dartmouth, and relentless pursuit of excellence. Nominations for the award are submitted by Dartmouth colleagues. Culbert was an employee who served Dartmouth from 1989 to 2008 in several roles, including as an adviser to President Emeritus James Wright. These days, Culbert is head of school for the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Conn.
Following the Culbert Award, groups of honorees were recognized for their service. Each honoree walked to the podium and shook Hanlon’s hand, received a gift and certificate, and posed for group photographs.
Also honored though unable to attend the event was Virginia Hazen, director of Financial Aid in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid, who has worked for Dartmouth for 45 years.
“Under her stewardship, the College awards more than $90 million in need-based financial aid,” said Lynn Baker, interim vice president for Human Resources. “In addition to her work on campus, Ginny has served in a variety of professional capacities for regional and national financial aid organizations.”
Approaching the end of his first academic year as Dartmouth’s leader, Hanlon expressed gratitude for all the College’s staff members, who, he said, “go beyond what’s asked of them to give back to the Dartmouth community.”
“During my first year as president, I’ve met with thousands of students, faculty, alumni, and parents,” he said. “Having spoken with and received letters and e-mails from so many people over the last year, I’m truly amazed at how many of them take notice of the work you do—whether it’s helping keep our grounds beautiful, maintaining our facilities, or welcoming students. Your work not only helps put Dartmouth’s best face forward, it makes a personal impact on the students, families, faculty, and friends who trust us.”
Hanlon noted that staff assisted him and his wife, Gail Gentes, director of action-based learning programs, in their transition to Hanover. “To say we could not have done it without you is a clear understatement, and we’ve felt not only welcomed by you, but supported at every turn, and for that we are endlessly grateful,” he said.
He also commended staff for their role in advancing Dartmouth’s mission and strengthening its community.
“Many of you have also worked side-by-side with faculty and students in the creation of knowledge across the disciplines, and are playing significant roles in our efforts to be innovative in these areas,” Hanlon said. “Helping our students in their quest for wisdom, understanding, and leadership is not an easy task, but together, we send them off ready to change the world for the better. Each one of you contributes to Dartmouth and plays a critical role in its development and its mission, and our community is bettered by your commitment and your service.”
Patricia Fisken was honored for 40 years of service. (Photo by Eli Burakian ’00)
The 35-year honorees, are, first row, from left: Daryl Laware, Cecile Menard, Tammy Stebbins, and Fiona Barr. Second row: Gary Durkee, Adam Keller, Elaine Olmstead, and Eugene Vigneault. Not pictured: Jeffrey Alger, Robert Ceplikas, Bonita Coutermarsh, Ronald Dexter, Marie Doyle, John Largent, and Pamela Latimer. (Photo by Eli Burakian ’00)
The 30-year honorees are, from left: Rene Dauphinais, Kathleen Decato, Bonnie MacAdam, Sylvie Sequin, and Hafiz Shabazz. Not pictured: Carlene Eitapence, Robert Fillian, David Gelhar, Kathy Green, Susan Martin, Patricia Palmiotto, William Pence, Donna Porter, Richard Rossoll, Carl Thum, and I-Chao Wei. (Photo by Eli Burakian ’00)
The 25-year honorees are, first row, from left: Stephen Dulli, Elizabeth Bankert, Madeline Grace, Miriam J. “Goodie” Corriveau, Carol Gage, and Julie Pillsbury. Second row: Sylvia Wilcox, Cheryl Countermarsh, Charley Bradley, Ann Betters, Marcie Craig Jacobs, Lisa Ladd, and Susan Schwarz. Third row: Jeannette Crary, Thomas Chapman, Richard Sawyer, Gregory Wadlinger, Charles Clark, and Robert Wagner. Not pictured: Stephanie Boone, Patricia Cope, Lauren Cummings, Leslie Henderson, Bobby Ignjatovic, Lisa Laflam, Janice McEwan, Thomas Mead, Mary Ann Milanese, Nancy Miller, Kelly Mousley, Louise Paquette, Maninder Rakhra, Sandra Rozyla, William Slayton, Sycha Spengemann, and Lisa Thum. (Photo by Eli Burakian ’00
The 20-year honorees are, first row, from left: Marcia Kelly, Lori Laventure, Sally Jaeger, Cathy Ross, and Debbie Wilson. Second row: Joseph Huntington, Bernard Haskell, Steven Lubrano, Andrew Perkins, Sandra Cragin, and Todd Tattershall. Third row: Mickey Tyler, Michael Burton, Andrew Welch, Kevin Evans, Nelson Morgan, and Jim Wilson. Not pictured: Joan Blood, Renee Brown, Mary Kay Brown, Mark Bruno, Aarron Clough, Lynn Coffran, Timothy DePree, Michael Devins, Paul Dionne, Theresa D'Orsi, Daphne Ellis, Karen Endicott, Ginger Farewell Lawrence, Jan Fisher, Christopher Halford, Jodi Harrington, Dana Kennedy, Janet Kennedy, Ingrid Knudsen, Sarah LaBombard, Bonnie Labrie, Linda Langley, Hugh Mellert, Rita Murdoch, Karen Odato, and Ann St Onge. (Photo by Eli Burakian ’00)
The 15-year honorees are, first row, from left: Bridgett Jillson, Barbara Mellert, Carol Millay, Judy Jarvis, Betsy Fulton, and Duane Follansbee. Second row: Ruhong Dong, Jeff DeWitt, Carissa Dowd, Phyllis Nembauer, Abigail Fellows, and Robin Pych. Third row: David Levesque, Richard Jaros, Helina Josephson, Lisa Stoelting, and Marisue Valentine. Not pictured: Robert Arnold, Kevin Baron, Laurence Bassett, Nancy Bates, Doris Beyer, Michael Bissaillon, Terry Blanchard, Robert Burnham, Theodore Bush, Susan Caruso, Janet Cheney, Chris Clark, Lori Corrette, Jamie Dalton, Katrina Davis, Tim Duggan, Jennifer Fountain, Sharon French, Jennifer Friend, Daniel Gottlieb, Annette Hamilton, Susan Hanifin, Beth Harwood, Kimberly Hayes, Mark Hudak, Mary Hynes, Lance Ilsley, Michele Jaeger, Jeffrey Johnson, Andrew Johnson, Stacey Kegelman, Geoffrey Kiralis, Stacie Marshall, Christine Maute, Rebecca Mlynarski, Ronald Peterson, Randy Pixley, Candace Powers, Sukdith Punjasthitkul, Shelley Richer, Mary Ellen Rigby, Hiroyuki Sano, David Sekula, Joshua Shaw, Irene Shea, Honora Thebodo, Eugene Thorburn, Erin Tunnicliffe, Robert Vaughan, Tanya Volodina, Lorri Wettemann, Carmen Wilmot, and Susan Zaslaw. (Photo by Eli Burakian ’00)
The 10-year honorees are, first row, from left: Darcie Findley, Kimberly Hanchett, Debra Smith, M. Jean Wakefield, and Alison Young. Second row: Laura Braunstein, Corinne Arndt Girouard, Cathy Moore, Jean Brown, Jennifer Cocklin, Karen DeWolf Ricard, and Janet Rosa. Third row: Andrew Ager, Kimberly Lyford, Pauline Moran, Wole Ojurongbe, Christine Gex, Joshua Price Kol, and Sarah Morgan. Fourth row: Darryl Zampieri, Sarunas Burdulis, Simi Delevett, Jennifer Johnson, Harry Kinne, and Michael Ricker. Not pictured: Michael Backman, William Bacon, Pamela Bagley, Kristi Ballou, Ronald Beaudin, Hassina Benchabane, Todd Berube, Jeanne Briand, Charles Brown, Peter Carini, David Carpenter, Joshua Clark, Beverly Cormier, Walter Cunningham, Sophie Deharvengt, Paul Doscher, Patrick Dunfey, Jennifer Durgin, Tracy Dustin-Eichler, Shelagh Eastridge, Linda Eickhoff, Matt Eiter, Jade Ennis, Eric Esau, James Ford, Lisa Furlong, Philip Garran, Laura Graveline, Dylan Griffin, Jason Gunn, Lori Harris, Lori Heath, Mark Hiatt, Gary Hunt, Timothy Jameson, Stephen Kearing, Elizabeth Koelsch, Joshua Landis, Mark Laser, Duane Lawrence, Ed Leavitt, Lydia Lewis, Charles Mannix, Barbara Masteller, Donna McMahon, Richard McNulty, Sunnie McPhetres, David Miller, Kevin Morse, Seth Nelson, Cynthia Patch, Tracy Pope, Eric Ramsey, Johanna Regan, Elizabeth Reiche, Eileen Ruml, Steven Shulman, Megan Sobel, Benjamin Sterner, Susan Tarczewski, Kalindi Trietley, John Vanier, Rachel West, and Mary-Ella Ziet. (Photo by Eli Burakian ’00)
See slideshow on Dartmouth’s flickr site.
