Northern Michigan University employees were honored for years-of-service milestones at the recent faculty and staff recognition luncheon. Distinguished Team and Excellence in Service Awards also were presented.

Distinguished Team Awards were presented to the following:

Centralized Advising: This team was charged with increasing retention of first-year students. Its approach was to ensure students are in a major that is a good fit, provide appropriate referrals and work cooperatively with academic departments to ensure students are in appropriate courses. Members from the Academic and Career Advisement Center are: Jim Gadzinski, Michele Stephenson, Josh Santiago, Tory Mattson, Katy Morrison, José Garcia, Mark Dellangelo, Megan DelBello, Kyle Lannon, Peter Holliday, Linda Sirois and Sarah Santiago

Chorale “Landslide” Video: This video performance was shared more than 600,000 times on social media and raised the visibility of NMU and its music department. Team members are: Director of Choirs Erin Colwitz, CAPS professor Mark Shevy, NMU photographer/videographer Josh LeClair and music publicity/marketing liaison Rusty Bowers.

Online Fellows Program: The team created the Online Fellows program, which stresses the importance of using Quality Matters standards and sound pedagogical foundations as the framework for developing online courses. Members from the Center for Teaching and Learning are: Matt Smock, Tom Gillespie, Stacey DeLoose and Scott Smith.

Preventative Maintenance: The team has successfully transitioned the building maintenance operation from reactive to preventative maintenance for the mechanical system equipment in all campus buildings to ensure comfortable environments. Team members are: Esko Alasimi, Cheryl LaJoye, Ben Constance, Greg Lynn, Josh Wasilewski, Tom DePetro, Travis Reamer, Tim Schmeltzer, Don Werholm, Tom Helgren, Carl Bammert and Chris Busch.

Excellence in Service Awards were presented to the following:

Hans Ahlstrom (Learning Resources Division), WNMU-FM’s primary station liaison, for his worth ethic in seeking chances to partner with NMU and to provide NMU student’s opportunities and internships.

Molly Anderson (Academic Information Services – Library), for her work ethic as interim circulation manager. She assisted the circulation unit by taking on various responsibilities, improving morale in her unit and taking on a critical leadership role.

Peter Holliday (Student Support Services), for his contributions to the core values of community and inclusion by going above and beyond to create a friendly, caring and helpful university where students feel safe, challenged and welcome.

Hannah Lewis (Center for Student Enrichment), for her contributions to student organizations by coordinating services, advising and recognizing their achievements. She was a leader in developing community relationships, such as her leadership role in helping to establish the Cat Packs program, a weekend food program that feeds 70 students at North Star Academy.

Dan Lynch (Dining Services), for representing NMU dining services and Fieras in the community at both local and regional culinary competitions and local fundraiser collaborations.

Jana Nicholls (Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences), for her successful efforts to help the department of earth, environmental and geographical sciences be student-centered and welcoming.  She also helped raise departmental awareness, which contributed to an increase in the incoming number of environmental students in 2016.

Brandon Sager (Engineering and Planning), for successfully leading the building services department’s operational transition from zone cleaning to high performance cleaning in 13 academic and administrative buildings.

Don Sibilsky (Plant Operations), for his job commitment beyond requirement, which is exemplified by his personal commitment to maintain the Berry Events Center’s ice compressor.