Nomination Information

Purpose

This award offered through the University of Colorado Staff Council (UCSC) is to recognize University of Colorado Staff (Classified Staff, University Staff, Research Professionals, and Professional Research Assistants) who demonstrate excellence in all aspects of their work. Due to the nature of our focus, University of Colorado faculty, temporary staff, student workers, and medical trainees are not eligible for this award. 

Criteria (based on the University of Colorado's Guiding Principles)

  • Integrity & Respect - Behaves honestly and ethically; gathers facts to make decisions; promotes and upholds the principles of ethics, integrity, transparency, and accountability; provides a respectful and responsive working environment; shows regard for others' traditions, abilities, perspectives, and qualities; promotes and embraces diversity. 
  • Responsibility: Seek opportunities for professional development to understand their role within the organization better and be conscientious stewards of the university’s human, physical, financial, information, and natural resources.
  • Discovery & Excellence - Accepting failure when it happens; fostering creativity in problem-solving; seeing opportunities for excellence everywhere; taking initiative to improve processes or procedures; helping ensure that the university is an economic, social, and cultural catalyst.
  • Community: Supports and encourages communication and collaboration among units, teams, departments, and/or campuses to improve our communities; encourages, honors, and respects academic culture; and promotes and supports innovation and entrepreneurship at all university levels. 

Timeline

  • Nomination forms closed on Friday, January 31, 2025.  Communications to awardees, nominators, and nominees will be on/by Friday, March 14, 2025.
  • The Staff Excellence Awards event is scheduled for Friday, April 25, 2025. Awardees will be invited to attend. 

 

Award Information

The 2025 UCSC Staff Excellence Awards Ceremony will be held on Friday, April 25, in Lone Tree. Nominations began on January 8 and closed on Friday, January 31, 2025. Any CU employee may nominate a colleague for this award, recognizing staff members who have exceeded their job duties and surpassed expectations. 

You can view the CU Connections article about the previous 2023 Staff Excellence Award Event at this link. 

  • Eligibility: All staff members may be nominated for this prestigious award, including classified and university staff across the four campuses and at the system offices. There is an exception for staff awarded within the last 3 years; they are not eligible to be awarded this year.
  • Award details: Two winners from each campus will be chosen, for a total of ten winners. Each winner will receive a $250 award presented by a campus leadership team member at the UCSC Staff Excellence Awards Ceremony.
  • Award ceremony: All awards are presented in person at the Staff Excellence Awards Ceremony.

2023 Recipients

Staff Excellence Awardees 2023

Awardees and Presenters

Awardees and Presenters from L-R: Kenny Nelson, Kara Bajdas, Carlos Garcia, Tawnya Boulier, Kenny Sisco, Kristina Mendez, Chrissie Bailey, teri engelke, Lisa Testaverde, Ali Faraz, Jennifer Thurston, Ilana Dubin Spiegel, Lesley Smith, Terri Carrothers, Felicity O'Herron, Frank McNulty

Kenny Sisco

Kenny is the IT Director in the College of Engineering, Design and Computing; Interim IT Director in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at CU Denver.

Tawnya Boulier

Tawnya is the Assistant Director for Strategic People Operations in the Human Resources Department at CU Denver.

 

Kristina Mendez

Kristina is the Learning Design Manager for the Financial Services & Solutions Team in the Office of the Controller in the System Administration Office. 

Faraz Ali

Faraz is the Lead Cloud Applications Engineer on the Integrations Platform Team in the University Information System Administration Office.

Bree Orozco

Bree is the Assistant Director of Advising at the Leeds School of Business at CU Boulder.

Kara Bajdas
Kara Bajdas

Kara is the Geological Sciences Graduate Program Administrator at CU Boulder.

Kristina Coggins (In remembrance of)

The UCSC wants to honor and remember Kristina who served as the Director of Chancellor and University Events in the Chancellor's Office at UCCS. She will be deeply missed by the entire UCCS community. Her legacy and dedication to the University will not soon be forgotten. 

Chrissie Bailey

Chrissie is the Assistant Director of Wellness Promotion on the Recreation and Wellness Team at UCCS.

Jennifer Thurston

Jennifer is the Academic Services Program Director for the Modern Human Anatomy Program in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology on the CU Anschutz Campus.

Lisa Testaverde

Lisa is the Associate Director of Research Administration for the LEAD Center (Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes) on the CU Anschutz Campus.