High on the Staff

The winners of the 2004 Lucy A. McCall and Louis J. Mirra Awards for support staff are Krista Schantz, secretary in Reeves Library, and custodian Diane Rodriguez.

When he presented their awards at the holiday dinner in December, President Rokke noted:

“In his primer on leadership, Colin Powell observes that the real leaders of any organization aren’t always the individuals with the most impressive titles.”

According to Reeves Library director Rita Berk, Krista’s job title “doesn’t begin to cover what she does”—from monitoring the library’s operating budget to designing innovative displays. Other nominators called her “efficient, knowledgeable, friendly, and creative . . . a problem-solver who is always focused on the needs of our students.”

The highest compliment came from a co-worker who said: “She makes people feel valued, and she makes us all look better.”
And for Diane:

“Long before most of us come to work, indeed, long before most of us are awake, an unseen but essential team prepares our offices and rooms for another day of work. Before we can attend to our work, they attend to our workplace,” said the President.

He called Diane “a quiet, dedicated, and stellar member of that team” whose work is “invariably meticulous and thorough.” As her supervisor says: “She’s so silent, you hardly know she’s there—until you see the work she’s done.”

At the same time, President Rokke said, “her colleagues and friends know her as a person with the strongest of hearts and a deep love for her family.”

Congrats to these colleagues!