Staff Employee of the Month 2024
Full-Time
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.”
Part-Time
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.
Nominate a Colleague
Staff employees can be nominated for Staff Employee of the Month for making a difference to Columbus State, going above and beyond expectations, excelling as a team player, or striving to bring out the Columbus State “spirit” in others. To nominate a colleague, click on the forms below.
STAFF EMPLOYEE NOMINATION FORM
Staff Employee of the Month Program Guidelines
Previous SEOM Award Winners
2023 Staff Employees of the Month
2022 Staff Employees of the Month
2021 Staff Empoyees of the Month
2020 Staff Empoyees of the Month
2019 Staff Employees of the Month
2018 Staff Employees of the Month