Staff Employee of the Month 2024

Shelley Toale has been with Columbus State since 1991 and is a coordinator for Facilities Operations. She was nominated for the Full-time Staff Employee of the Month by Library Director Dana Knott. “Shelley is a colleague that I respect, trust, and admire,” said Knott in her nomination letter. “She has always made me feel like the library’s needs are a priority, and her responses emphasize connection, compassion, and community support.” Knott included a specific example. “In July 2022, the Library experienced a significant flood, and Shelley provided support, communication, and solutions during a long and sometimes “stressful’ process.”   

An office associate who’s been a full-time employee for two years was announced as the February Staff Employee of the Month at last week’s First Wednesday.

Elizabeth Lamela was nominated by Darrell Minor, Mathematics professor. “Elizabeth routinely provides assistance to all in the department, whether it’s providing help with scheduling meetings or viewing someone’s calendar in Teams, she will have an answer,” said Minor in his nomination form. 

Beyond assisting faculty and staff, Minor says she is a vital resource for students, calling her “incredibly helpful” to students. In more than one instance, when I was with a student who shared with me that they were without housing, Minor said, “…within minutes of asking Elizabeth for help finding resources, she responded (quickly), and we were able to provide resources for the students.” 

Minor adds, “I’ve had students comment (to me) on how friendly our office associate is.”

An analyst in Administrative Operations who’s been with Columbus State Community College for 12 years was named the Staff Employee of the Month.

Vincent Cocozza joined the college in December 2012. He was nominated by Terrence Brown, dean of Health & Human Services. “Vincent Cocozza is dedicated and willing to go the extra mile for his colleagues and the college (which makes) him a true asset for our future,” said Brown. “His proactive approach is a quality that should be celebrated and appreciated.”

In his nomination, Brown added, “Cocozza played a ‘pivotal role’ in the realignment of Health & Human Services within a six-month timeframe, which speaks volumes about his organizational and leadership capabilities. It’s apparent he possesses a talent for walking others through processes, ensuring timely decision-making, and achieving collective goals without seeking individual credit.”

At First Wednesday’s presentation, Brown also read comments from three colleagues who had complimented Cocozza’s work ethic. 

Allie Upchurch, who is a project manager in Partnerships & Programs, was named the Full-time Staff Employee of the Month at last week’s First Wednesday. She started at the college in 2019 and was nominated by Kirk Dickerson, chief health strategist in Academic Affairs. 

In his nomination, Dickerson said that Upchurch went above and beyond in her work with the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center’s partnership with Columbus State’s Surgical Technology Program. “Allie has been working with our faculty to develop a surgical technology cohort program that will be offered at OSU,” said Dickerson. He added that her ability to help different parties from different organizations stay focused on shared goals is a strong asset.

In a supervisor’s review, Cheryl Hay, executive director of The Office of Talent Strategy, highlighted the “High level of care Allie brings to keeping what our students need to be successful at the forefront in the design and within the ongoing negotiations that take place in this work.”

Darryl Smith, a specialist with the Office of Talent Strategy, was named the Part-time Employee of the Month. Smith has been with the college since 2015. He was nominated by his supervisor, Chris Brown. “Darryl makes a positive impact on everyone he meets,” said Brown in his nomination form. “His friendly disposition makes him very easy to talk to, which puts our non-credit students at ease, especially the Basic English as a Second Language (ESL) students.” Brown goes on to say, “Darryl continues to work on his Spanish so he can offer excellent customer service to our ESL students. He uses resources such as Google Translate and campus maps to assist with requests and questions from students.” An additional example of Brown’s dedication happened on a Saturday. He was notified that morning that one of his colleagues was ill, and he came in to work that shift with little notice.  

Natalie Glenn was named the Part-time Staff Employee of the Month. Glenn is a Benefits specialist and was hired in January 2022. She was nominated by Nick Hardin, Employee Experience senior director. 

In his nomination, Hardin said Glenn has been supporting the Talent Acquisition team in many ways since arriving at the college. “Natalie helps schedule interpreters for new hire orientation and other employee events. She also helps schedule interpreters for interviews for employees and candidates who need them.”

The Compliance team also provided accolades: Natalie has made a difference to the college community by encouraging employees to understand their rights under ADA and by advocating on behalf of employees with disabilities.