The Bustad Lawn was the scene of food, fun and friends Thursday afternoon as staff were recognized at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s 28th annual barbecue and staff awards ceremony.
Since 1997, the awards have recognized staff who have excelled in the performance of their duties, promoted teamwork and inspired excellence in others. Staff are nominated by their colleagues and selected by an advisory committee.
This year, six staff members received individual awards and the veterinary admissions team received the college’s group award. Staff award winners included:
- Chanelle Denman
- Tessi Fry
- Dan Jendro
- Jennifer Kiser
- Kristie McGourin
- Lindsay Parrish
- Amie Jones, KT McMurray, Stacey Poler – DVM Admissions (group award)
Chanelle Denman, assistant director of undergraduate education, was nominated by her colleague Cindy Hollenbeck.
Denman was recognized for her exemplary on-boarding of her employees, strong and transparent communication, her consistent open-door policy, and, more than anything, her ability to support and empower her employees.
“Chanelle always says what she means and follows through. And although Chanelle is the supervisor of the advising suite, she never hesitates to jump in to help with weekend events, cleaning and maintaining the office, and leading by example with her dedication to work and the mission of the university,” Hollenbeck wrote in Chanelle’s nomination letter. “… I appreciate how she manages difficult situations with humor and a positive attitude. I’ve had many bosses, but Chanelle stands out as a true leader — someone who models professional behavior, civility, and assumes good intentions.”
Tessi Fry, administrative manager in the college’s Business Finance Office, received five nominations, including from her co-worker Adam Williams, Scott Bullers, Heather Burchell, Dan Jedro and Ashley Matson.
The nomination letters highlighted Fry’s ability to troubleshoot problems for so many in the college; her initiative to take on new duties, specifically a robust collegewide recruitment and onboarding role for the college; and the creation of standard operating flowcharts across all business processes. In addition to her responsibilities at the college, Fry is often the first staff member in the dean’s area to arrive to work, so she can be available to anyone who needs assistance. Her kindness and commitment to the college is apparent through her dedication to her colleagues collegewide.
“Her nature to help others be successful comes through as she steps up continuously to aid and support those around her,” Adam wrote in his nomination letter. “The college benefits beyond expectations from Tessi Fry and the type of contributions she brings to the organization. Her demonstrated service has produced numerous examples worthy of recognition, but it is her steadfast quality and professional characteristics that deserve acknowledgement of excellence.”
Dan Jendro, finance budget manager in Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, was nominated by department colleagues Kelly Brayton and McKenna Hull.
Jendro was recognized for developing integrated revenue, expense analyses and projections in VMP, and handling teaching budgets. With Jendro’s expertise, VMP’s administrative team has grown and he has nurtured them through increased job responsibilities and position changes, enhancements and promotion.
“Dan is knowledgeable, proactive, a team player, and he is not only able to do a sophisticated, high-level job, but supervise and train others in a meaningful and valuable way and is a true role model,” Brayton wrote in her nomination letter. “He has been a driving force behind our admin team since joining us 12 years ago. His dedication to his work and our team is unmatched, and his contributions to our department have been invaluable.”
Hull shared that sentiment in her nomination for Jendro.
“I am not a direct report of Dan’s, but I can say that he seems to lead his team well. They all have nothing but nice things to say about him and how supportive he is. He is always ready and able to answer questions – even if it isn’t the first time it has come up! He never makes anyone feel bad for needing assistance and is always there to help,” she wrote.
Jennifer Kiser, laboratory manager at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, was nominated by Jennifer Babcock, Kevin Snekvik, Korakrit Poonsuk and her other peers at WADDL.
Since stepping into the role of Sample Receiving manager at WADDL, Kiser has consistently exceeded expectations through her proactive leadership and deep commitment to operational excellence. She has undertaken a comprehensive review and revision of nearly every procedure and process within the Sample Receiving section, significantly improving compliance and efficiency in sample handling, login and routing, especially for high pathogen and foreign animal disease cases. As a result of her collaborative approach, daily tasks in Sample Receiving can be completed reliably by any team member — clear evidence of Kiser’s ability to communicate, delegate and train effectively.
“Jenn’s long-term mindset sets her apart. She is not only focused on current needs of her employees and the laboratory, but also actively invests in building sustainable systems, cross-training staff, and improving safety and efficiency for the future. She is constantly researching new solutions and alternatives to cut costs and save time; her contributions have had a lasting impact on both the functionality and culture of the Sample Receiving section,” Kiser’s nominators wrote in her nomination letter.
Kristie McGourin, laboratory manager for the Clinical Pathology Laboratory in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, was nominated by Mara S. Varvil, Greg Nordin, Hannah Cohen, Stephanie Anderson and the Clinical Pathology team.
McGourin has played a vital role in training time slip students and supporting fourth-year students, interns, residents and clinicians with sample submission. Over the past year, she has enthusiastically and professionally adapted to her duties while helping implement changes in the Clinical Pathology lab. She went above and beyond in establishing reference intervals for beef and dairy cattle on the new chemistry analyzer, including traveling to collect samples and coming in early to accession them. McGourin also tracked reports that generated approximately $30,000 in revenue for Clinical Pathology from research testing.
“Kristie is the picture of excellence – in the relatively short time she has been with us, she has become an indispensable part of the lab. She does the ‘day-to-day’ part of her job exceedingly well, stays calm in the face of pressure, and she is always willing to pitch in and help wherever she’s needed. She is a huge asset to the team, and we are so lucky to have her,” McGourin’s team wrote in her nomination letter.
Senior scientific assistant Lindsay Parrish was nominated by the college’s Field Disease Investigation Unit.
Parrish is an integral to field- and Veterinary Teaching Hospital-based sample collection, and within the laboratory setting, processes samples for research and biosecurity surveillance using advanced microbiological analyses and molecular techniques. Furthermore, she supervises the full-time AP and hourly employees within the lab and oversees graduate students.
“In a world and workplace in constant motion, it is Lindsay’s steadfastness and dependability that stand out and keep us grounded within FDIU,” McConnel wrote in his nomination letter. “Those two qualities are vital to our success and set her apart from so many others who come and go. I could go on about her humility, unselfishness and encouragement for those around her. Or her curiosity, determination and wit. As a whole, she is truly outstanding and an irreplaceable cog within our FDIU machine. But it is truly her steadfastness and dependability that set her apart and by extension keeps FDIU not just relevant but successful and vital.”
The DVM Admissions team — Amie Jones, KT McMurray and Stacey Poler — earned the college’s group award, largely for their initiative to solve problems affecting students in the admissions process, including leading a revamp of the DVM application review process, creating and managing their admission hub webpages, and taking the lead on building a new robust Admissions handbook.
The team was nominated by Lynne Haley and Zak Moreno.
“They’re great communicators and are always willing to share what they know, ask thoughtful questions, and make sure others feel heard and supported. Their approachable nature helps build strong working relationships, and they’ve earned the trust and respect of faculty, staff, students and partners across the college. From big recruitment events to behind-the-scenes logistics, they show up with consistency and care, always keeping students and potential students at the center,” Haley wrote in the team’s nomination letter.
Moreno said the team is just as kind to students as they are to faculty and staff.
“They helped me so much when I started working here and helped me learn all the different aspects of the Dean’s Area. They always have students stopping by even after they are past all the admissions process to chat because of how friendly and welcoming they are,” Moreno said.
